MILWAUKEE (AP) 鈥� New York Mets outfielder Luis Robert Jr. has been activated from the injured list after missing nearly three months with a back issue.
The Mets announced the move before starting their three-game series at Milwaukee on Monday. They optioned infielder Eric Wagaman to Triple-A Syracuse and outrighted infielder Zack Short to Syracuse.
Robert, 28, last played for the Mets on April 26 before going on the with a lumbar spine disk herniation. He was in the starting lineup Monday playing center field and batting seventh against
鈥淗e鈥檚 going to be a part of the outfield mix,鈥� Mets interim manager Andy Green said before the game. 鈥淚 think realistically, two out of three days is probably what we鈥檙e looking at, at the outset here. We鈥檒l get a couple of weeks down the road and decide what changes need to be made to that.鈥�
Robert鈥檚 return gives the Mets more options in the outfield.
A.J. Ewing, who was getting much of the playing time in center field while Robert was hurt, started at right on Monday while five-time All-Star Juan Soto was in left. Carson Benge, who has made starts at all three outfield spots this season, wasn鈥檛 in the starting lineup.
Green said Robert would primarily play center field rather than moving all over the outfield.
鈥淚 think that鈥檚 where we鈥檙e at right now, in the short term,鈥� Green said. 鈥淭he other guys (in the outfield) have moved around a lot in their minor league career, so they鈥檙e comfortable playing other positions. He hasn鈥檛. So on the fly in the middle of the season, you do factor in the comfort level of players, where they鈥檝e played consistently.鈥�
in a January trade that sent infielder Luisangel Acu帽a and minor league pitcher Truman Pauley to the Chicago White Sox. The 2023 All-Star was batting .224 with a .327 on-base percentage, two homers, eight RBIs and two steals in 24 games this season before going on the injured list.
Wagaman was hitting .162 with a .262 on-base percentage, two homers and four RBIs in 21 games with the Mets.
Short went 1 for 14 in six games with the Mets, who claimed him off waivers from the Detroit Tigers last month. He hit .167 with a .304 on-base percentage, no homers and two RBIs in 23 games with Detroit.
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