Mets' Jorge Polanco could rejoin club for Padres series after Double-A rehab continues

What happened

Jorge Polanco's rehab assignment with Double-A Binghamton took a step forward on Saturday night, when the Mets' DH/1B got his first start at first base in the minors after serving as designated hitter in his previous two rehab appearances. He played three innings in the field — a modest workload by design — and went 0-for-2 with two strikeouts at the plate, a quieter night than the one before it, when he hit a three-run home run.

Per the New York Post's Mike Puma, the Mets are hopeful Polanco will rejoin the club in San Diego when they open a three-game series against the Padres on Friday, June 5. Puma also notes that Polanco will not be with the team for their series against the Mariners in Seattle, which begins Monday. The team itself has said a return is likely to happen during their upcoming road trip, though the precise timing has not been formally announced.

Why it matters

Polanco last appeared in a major-league game on April 14, which means the road trip to Seattle and San Diego will arrive with roughly seven weeks of absence behind him. That is a long stretch for any lineup contributor, and the Mets have been carrying that gap through a portion of the schedule that has not been kind to them.

The rehab arc itself is worth noting. Polanco has now played parts of three games for Binghamton, and the progression from DH to first base — even for just three innings — suggests the club is building him back deliberately rather than rushing him to the active roster. When he does return, per Puma's reporting, he is expected to function primarily as a designated hitter rather than a regular presence at first base. That role distinction matters for how the Mets construct their lineup and manage their roster around him.

The three-game series in San Diego would represent a meaningful moment to reintegrate a bat that has been absent since mid-April. Whether the timeline holds is still a question the next several days will answer.

The numbers

Across his three-game rehab stint, Polanco has collected a home run, three RBI, and two walks against three strikeouts, going 2-for-5 at the plate. The home run arrived the night before Saturday's quiet 0-for-2, which is the kind of small-sample whiplash that rehab lines specialize in producing. The walk total — two in five plate appearances — is worth a quiet raised eyebrow in the positive direction.

The Mets' season line sits at 74-88 (.457), which places them fifth in the NL East, 20 games back in the division. Their Wild Card standing is rank 10, 14.0 relative to the cut line. Both the division race and the Wild Card race are closed chapters for this club. They enter Sunday having lost their most recent game.

Where the club stands

The Mets are 74-88, fifth in the NL East, and the standings math has been settled for a while now. Sunday brings the Miami Marlins to Citi Field, with Nolan McLean projected to face John King. Then the club heads to T-Mobile Park in Seattle, where Austin Warren is lined up against Emerson Hancock on Monday and Huascar Brazobán is slated to face Logan Gilbert on Tuesday — before the road trip continues to San Diego, where Polanco could be waiting for them.

The Seattle series is the bridge between now and the reported Polanco return window. Three games against the Mariners, then a potential reunion in San Diego. That is the shape of the next week for this ballclub.

Is Polanco playing in Seattle?

No, per Puma's reporting. The Mets are not expected to have Polanco available for the Seattle series beginning Monday. The club's stated hope is that he rejoins them in San Diego for the June 5 series opener against the Padres, but that remains a target, not a certainty.

What we don't know yet

The exact date of Polanco's activation has not been announced. The June 5 opener against San Diego is described as the team's hope, per Puma, not a locked-in return date. Rehab assignments for position players carry a 20-day window under general league rules before a club must make a roster decision, so there is time remaining — but the Mets' stated preference is clearly to move quickly.

Yahoo Sports' account of the situation does not specify the nature of the injury that has kept Polanco out since April 14, so the medical picture behind the timeline is not something the desk can fill in here.

Whether his role upon return stays primarily at DH or expands to include more time at first base is another open question. The team has indicated DH is the expectation, but Saturday's three innings in the field suggests they are at least evaluating his defensive readiness alongside his offensive one.

What to watch

The next few days of Polanco's rehab line will tell the story. If he continues to play the field — even in limited doses — and the Mets proceed with the road trip without incident, the June 5 date in San Diego becomes more concrete. If anything changes in Binghamton, the timeline shifts accordingly.

For the Mets, the Seattle series is the waiting room. Three games against the Mariners, probable pitchers already in place, and a roster that could look different — at least in the DH spot — if the San Diego plan holds. Watch for any roster moves the club makes before Monday's first pitch, and keep an eye on updates from Puma or the organization as the week progresses.

A player returning from a seven-week absence to a team that has been mathematically eliminated from both the division and Wild Card races is not the kind of news that reshapes a pennant race. But for the Mets, getting a bat back in the lineup — and getting him back healthy — is the kind of thing that matters even when the standings have already rendered their verdict. Polanco's rehab is moving forward. The desk will be watching San Diego.