Mets Face Starling Marte Setback After Concerning Development in Yankees Loss

Starling Marte wasn’t just having a good night, he was carving up the Yankees. The 36-year-old delivered three sharp hits and stole a base which made him resemble his former self as an electrifying player who used to intimidate both pitchers and outfield fences. The Mets required his energy to find their rhythm. And when he took his spot in right field for the ninth, it felt like a full-circle performance. A healthy and confident Marte making a rare defensive start!

But just minutes later, that narrative changed. Marte signaled toward the dugout, and a trainer jogged out. The cameras caught what fans feared. This wasn’t just a routine check-in. After a brief conversation, Marte walked off the field with his night over and a familiar worry creeping back in. That right knee, the one that’s haunted him all season had flared up again.

“Starling Marte’s knee ‘flared up’ in the ninth inning, thus the trainer visit,” Mets reporter Anthony DiComo shared on X. “The Mets will have him evaluated. Notably, Marte made a rare start in the outfield today.”

Marte hasn’t played the outfield regularly since early June, largely due to that same knee. The Mets had been easing him back, with DH appearances, lighter workloads, and careful matchups. But Sunday’s showdown with the Yankees was different. The stakes, the stage, and Marte’s hot bat pushed him into the field again. The risk, however, came roaring back.

This isn’t just about one player limping off late in a game. It’s a roster ripple effect. Plus, their 6-4 loss to the Yankees hit even harder. With Aaron Judge’s 33rd homer of the season and his tumbling catch on Marte’s liner, the Mets’ four-game winning streak was stopped.

And now, with Jesse Winker nearing a return and the trade deadline approaching, Marte’s status could quietly shift the Mets’ strategy. Can they trust him to anchor a corner spot regularly? Or do they need to look outside for insurance?

One inning changed the tone of a promising night. The Mets saw the best version of Marte and then watched it walk off the field under clouded skies.

An unwelcome pattern returns at the worst time for the Mets

For the Mets, this wasn’t just about a player exiting in the ninth, it was déjà vu with alarming timing.

Starling Marte has already spent a chunk of the season managing right knee soreness, missing 19 games earlier in the year with what the team then labeled “inflammation.” Since returning, the Mets have handled him with kid gloves: Limited outfield appearances, DH duties, and plenty of off days. Sunday was supposed to be different, a sign that Marte was finally turning a corner. Instead, the knee barked again, and the Mets are back to square one.

The timing couldn’t have been more unfortunate for Marte as he had just begun to find his stride. Hitting 7 for 12 with a home run and two stolen bases in the week before the Yankees game.

He seemed to have turned a corner after his difficulties in May when he only managed a .211 batting average and a .577 OPS in 21 games. His legs looked heavy. His timing was off. Even fans began to question whether the 36-year-old had anything left. So, to see him reemerge this past week, and then exit with a flare-up, delivers a gut punch to a team trying to build momentum before the All-Star break.

“Obviously we’ve been monitoring him closely,” manager Carlos Mendoza mentioned earlier this season when asked about Marte’s sporadic usage. “The goal is to keep him on the field. When he’s right, he changes our lineup.” But that’s the dilemma. When Marte looks like himself, he adds speed, contact, and leadership. But when his body breaks down, he becomes a liability the Mets can’t afford to carry, especially with playoff positioning and trade planning on the line.

Sunday’s exit didn’t just sting, it reignited a troubling pattern that the Mets were hoping was behind them.