Mets place Dellin Betances on injured list, recall reliever Trevor Hildenberger

Dellin Betances lasted one game before getting hurt again.

The Mets put him on the 10-day injured list with a right shoulder impingement Thursday morning, about an hour before their home opener.

Betances was relegated to the sixth inning of a blowout in his season debut Wednesday, allowing the Phillies one run in one inning. His fastball averaged 91.8 mph, which was lower than his career-worst mark from last year (93.6).

Manager Luis Rojas said he isn’t sure when Betances will return.

"I know it’s the 10-day IL, but we don’t know if it’s going to be 10 days or more," Rojas said. "He’s going to rest for a few days. Let’s see how he responds after the rest part and starts throwing and gets treatment and all that."

This is another unfortunate development for the 6-8, 265-pound righthander, who in a season-plus with the Mets has looked like a shell of his hard-throwing Yankees self. He hasn’t had a full season since 2018. That includes missing several weeks in 2020 because of what the Mets called right lat tightness.

To fill the roster spot, the Mets called up sidearming righthander Trevor Hildenberger. He signed a minor-league contract in November and impressed during spring training.

Vax talk

Is Pete Alonso getting a COVID-19 vaccine?

"Well, I’ll put it to you this way: I’m in a vaccine commercial, right?" said Alonso, who is in an MLB-endorsed pro-vaccination PSA.

He added that it is "private medical information" and that he doesn’t want to publicly reveal his decision, toeing the company line Mets players seem to have settled on for this topic.

Managing McNeil

Rojas said slotting Jeff McNeil — a career .319 hitter entering the season — into the No. 7 spot in the lineup does not require much ego management.

"With Mac, the conversations are easy," Rojas said. "That’s just how his demeanor is. He really doesn’t care. We do have the conversations, but they’re not in-depth."

Sweet spot

A note from the Mets’ clubhouse: Francisco Lindor has been assigned the locker space that used to belong to Mets captain David Wright, a double-cubby setup in the corner, right next to the door that leads to the field.

Such a location is a status symbol, his placement there a testament to the expectations the Mets have for Lindor as a player and a leader. He is under contract for 11 seasons.

After Wright retired at the end of the 2018 season, Robinson Cano spent two seasons in that spot. He is serving a season-long suspension after testing positive for a steroid.