Mets' Ronny Mauricio tears ACL, will need surgery
Ronny Mauricio of the Mets runs to the dugout after the fourth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Citi Field on Sept. 15. Credit: Jim McIsaac
Ronny Mauricio’s true chance will have to wait.
He tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee and will need surgery, the Mets announced Tuesday, an injury that stands to cost him at least a huge chunk of the 2024 season and weakens the team’s internal competition at third base.
The Mets said in a statement that an “estimated return-to-play timeline will be determined following the procedure.” They did not say when the surgery will happen.
According to the Mets-affiliated Hospital for Special Surgery, recovery from ACL surgery typically requires at least a half-year.
“It usually takes six to nine months for a patient to return to participating in sports after an ACL reconstruction, depending on the level of competition and the type of activity,” HSS’s website reads.
Such a timeline would mean a Mauricio comeback between mid-June and mid-September.
Playing in a Dominican Winter League game on Sunday, Mauricio took a lead off first base and started to run toward second as the pitcher delivered but tried to stop after several steps. His knee buckled and he crumpled to the ground clutching his right knee.
Mauricio’s injury complicates the Mets’ plan for this offseason and next season, including with job competitions at third base and DH as well as the team’s desire to add a more established position player. Here is an overview of the ripple effects:
* The Mets have one fewer option at third base and DH. Previously, the Mets had indicated — via their public comments and private conversations with others in the industry — that Mauricio, Brett Baty and Mark Vientos figured to compete during spring training and perhaps throughout the season for time at third base and DH. Barring not-totally-ruled-out additions, it was two spots for three guys, with an odd man out potentially headed to the minors.
Now, it’s two spots for two guys, based on their current personnel.
* They might want to add another bat. President of baseball operations David Stearns said last week that the Mets wanted to add an outfielder, not a third baseman, to bolster their lineup. Now, there might be flexibility in that desire or even an openness to adding one of each.
Among those who suddenly make more sense on paper: once-upon-a-time Met Justin Turner, who last season mostly served as a DH and dabbled at third base (historically his primary position) with the Red Sox. Turner, 39, is a free agent.
That said, one of Stearns’ strong sentiments last week remains true: For the longer-term good of the Mets, the youngsters must play. Adding Turner or anybody else would not help in that sense, though they would be short-term insurance.
“It's important for us organizationally to learn about our younger players, to provide them opportunity at the major-league level,” he said. “Again, that doesn't have to be all on Opening Day. But over the course of the year, we've gotta learn about these guys.”
* It will be harder for the Mets to figure out what they have in Mauricio. That overarching goal of evaluating this bunch of graduating prospects became harder because the Mets won’t be able to get any looks at Mauricio indefinitely.
Mauricio, who will be 23 next season, received the briefest major-league chance of any of the above, 26 games and 108 plate appearances in September. He hit .248 with a .296 OBP and .347 slugging percentage. Those numbers aren’t impressive on their own, but Mauricio’s ability to hit the ball hard is tantalizing, if only he can do it more consistently.
Part of the point of Mauricio playing this offseason in the Dominican, where he was the league MVP last year, was to get more experience at third base. Last winter, Mauricio had played nine games at third base in the Dominican, an experience that Mauricio said during the season “helped me tremendously.”
Naturally a shortstop, Mauricio spent 2023 moving around the infield and even tried out leftfield (an experiment the Mets did not intend to continue in 2024). His defensive future, and thus his major-league future, is uncertain.
Now, it’ll remain so until he can get back on the field.
Tim Healey is the Mets beat writer for Newsday. Born on Long Island and raised in Connecticut, Tim has previously worked for the South Florida Sun Sentinel, the Boston Globe and MLB.com. He is also the author of “Hometown Hardball,” a book about minor league baseball in the northeast.
