The New York Mets and Carlos Mendoza have yet to announce their final roster for Opening Day on March 26. For weeks, a seasoned veteran and one of the Mets’ top prospects were locked in a tight race for a roster spot. Now it looks like an injury blow to the veteran outfielder has made Mendoza’s decision easier.

Mets outfielder Mike Tauchman pulled out of Saturday’s Grapefruit League game against the Houston Astros due to discomfort and soreness in his left knee. After an MRI, it was determined that he has a torn meniscus that needs surgery, Mendoza revealed to SNY on Sunday.

“Unfortunately, he’s going to be down for a while,” remarked Mendoza. He further stated that the Mets will not have a timeline for Tauchman’s return until he has surgery.

The veteran outfielder is on a minor league contract with the Mets, which includes an invitation to the major league Spring Training. Tauchman slashed .241/.371/.448 with a .819 OPS across 13 games with two doubles and one home run. Before his injury, Tauchman was competing with No. 2 prospect Carson Benge for a roster spot in right field.

Throughout Spring Training, Benge has put up strong numbers. He went 15-for-41 across 14 games, hitting .366 with a .874 OPS.

The Mets manager, Mendoza, is impressed by Benge’s Spring performance as well, especially his at-bat quality. According to him, Benge already looks like a ‘big leaguer.’

“It’s not so much his results. We don’t put too much into results in Spring Training. It’s just the at-bat quality, his ability to make adjustments from pitch to pitch, whether it’s lefties, righties. The engagement on defense… It’s just the overall awareness of his game has been pretty impressive,” Mendoza praised Benge, per MLB.com.

Tauchman’s injury became evident when he started hobbling as he was running out of the batter’s box after a groundout in the third inning against the Astros. His discomfort was visible again while going after a double by Yainer Diaz in the fourth. When Tauchman’s problem continued, he ended up pulling out of the game.

“He started feeling discomfort yesterday, and he got to a point where he couldn’t do it [anymore]… Trainers kind of knew right away when he came out, because we sent him for an MRI,” revealed Mendoza about Tauchman’s injury.

The Mets suffered a 7-5 loss against the Astros on Saturday.

Tauchman is not suffering from a meniscus tear for the first time. He went through the same surgery six months ago when he tore his right knee’s meniscus in September 2025.

With Tauchman out for Opening Day, Benge emerges as the top contender for the right field spot. However, Mendoza does not want to confirm anything until the Mets announce their official Opening Day roster.

When asked about Benge, Mendoza told SNY, “We aren’t making a decision yet. I know you guys gotta ask. But we still gotta get through today. We still gotta get through tomorrow…But yeah, we gotta get through the next couple of days.”

Even though Mendoza refrained from giving a confirmation, this Spring Training, Benge has put on a display worthy of a roster spot.

However, apart from Benge and Tauchman, Vidal Brujan was also competing for the last two roster spots in the New York Mets.

What does Tauchman’s surgery mean for Brujan?

Tauchman, Benge, and Brujan were competing for the last two Opening Day roster spots in the Mets: the right fielder and the bench spot.

With Tauchman and Benge both having an impressive Spring Training, it was uncertain whether Brujan would make it to the Mets roster. But Tauchman’s injury has kept his chances open for now.

The 28-year-old switch-hitter has posted a slash line of .273/.400/.273 with .673 OPS, going 9-for-33 in 14 games by the end of Spring Training. With Brujan, the Mets can now have a separate backup shortstop to Francisco Lindor. Otherwise, Bo Bichette, the new third baseman, could have taken the role of a backup shortstop in case of Lindor’s unavailability.

Brujan can also provide defensive versatility to the Mets, as he has gathered experience by playing in multiple defensive positions in 2025, except catcher and third base.

Meanwhile, Mendoza revealed to SNY that he is satisfied with the options he has left following Tauchman’s injury.

“We feel good with the options that we’ve got here. Obviously, we’ve got a lot of guys who are playing well, but we know injuries happen. It sucks for him and obviously the team, but we feel pretty good with the guys that we’ve got here,” stated Mendoza.

While M.J. Melendez could have been a potential option for the Mets’ right field on Opening Day, Mendoza is not reportedly too keen about it. Melendez will start in Triple-A this year.

With options aplenty for Mendoza and the Mets, all eyes will now be on the Opening Day roster announcement.