Mets' Ronny Mauricio fractures thumb against Angels, to be placed on IL
· Yahoo Sports
Mets shortstop Ronny Mauricio is headed to the injured list after he fractured his left thumb on a head-first slide to first base against the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday night, manager Carlos Mendoza said after the game.
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The injury occurred in the seventh inning after Mauricio hit a slow roller to first baseman Nolan Schanuel and tried beating it out by diving to first base. After initially called an out, the Mets immediately challenged the call which was overturned, but at great cost.
"I’m gonna have to talk to David [Stearns]," Mendoza said when asked about a possible replacement. "We need a player here tomorrow so it’s a quick turnaround."
Mauricio looked shaken up after the play, but stayed in to run the bases. He was taken out of the game in the bottom half of the inning when Brett Baty came in at third base, moving Bo Bichette to shortstop.
Who will play shortstop in Sunday's series finale and beyond is now the question, although moving Bichette back to his natural position is an option.
"I gotta wait and see who the player is that’s gonna come up," Mendoza said. "Pretty sure Bo is gonna be in the conversation, but again we just got done with the game."
With Mauricio starting due to the calf injury of Francisco Lindor, this is just the latest blow to a team that has been decimated by injuries early this season. It's also Mauricio's second significant injury after he tore his ACL before the 2024 season and comes at a time where he was finally going to get a long look in the majors.
"It’s tough, obviously," Mendoza said. "You lose your everyday shortstop and the guy that comes up and is getting the everyday opportunity here now is hurt – somebody else is gonna have an opportunity."