New York Mets infielder and designated hitter Jorge Polanco will undergo season-ending left ankle surgery following a challenging first year with the organization, interim manager Andy Green announced on Wednesday, August 20, 2026. Sidelined by injuries and limited to just 37 games, the veteran hit .148 with a .431 OPS after signing a two-year, $40 million deal.
The Anatomy of a Lost Season in Flushing
Expectations ran high when the Mets brought in Polanco during the offseason to split time at designated hitter and help fill the void left by Pete Alonso at first base. Instead, physical setbacks derailed his campaign almost immediately. According to reporting from The New York Times, Polanco landed on the injured list in mid-April due to a wrist issue while concurrently battling persistent bursitis in his left Achilles tendon. That initial combination of ailments set the tone for a brutal stretch of limited availability.
When he finally returned to active duty on July 7, the offensive production failed to materialize. Fox Sports noted that Polanco batted just .127 with a .169 on-base percentage and a .190 slugging percentage over 23 games and 84 plate appearances following his reactivation. Across his truncated 37-game total, both Baseball Reference and FanGraphs calculated his wins above replacement at -1.4. Mechanical breakdowns followed the physical pain.
“Just my observation from seeing him through the years and watching him hit and watching him produce, I do think it has affected him mechanically,” Andy Green explained to the Associated Press, noting that the physical burden made it difficult for the infielder to properly load into his back foot. “I don’t think he’s one to make excuses, so I’m not sure if he’ll even say that. But I do think it is something that has impacted him. And he’s tried to grind and it’s just not happening.”
Surgical Intervention and the Path to 2027
An MRI on Tuesday confirmed that surgical repair was unavoidable. Green stated that Polanco felt the psychological and professional weight of performing for a new city and fanbase, which only amplified the difficulty of grinding through the physical limitations. While the Achilles issue subsided by the time of his latest IL placement, the ankle itself required direct intervention to eliminate persistent pain.
The procedure is scheduled for the near term. The organization anticipates that Polanco will complete his rehab and participate fully in baseball activities when spring training opens in February 2027. He still carries the remaining $23 million of his original $40 million contract into the second year of the deal.
Roster Adjustments and Down-Ballot Impact
With Polanco out of the picture, the Mets have already begun reshuffling personnel to maintain infield depth and offensive production. Jared Young has stepped into regular reps at first base, maintaining a solid .781 OPS in his appearances. Meanwhile, outfield and designated hitter Christopher Morel, who joined the club from Triple-A Syracuse, alongside catcher Francisco Alvarez, are expected to absorb the bulk of the available designated hitter at-bats.
To fill the open active roster spot resulting from the 10-day IL move, the Mets recalled infielder Eric Wagaman, who posted a .956 OPS across 22 games at Triple-A Syracuse. As the team navigates the stretch run of the season, the front office and coaching staff must pivot entirely away from their high-profile offseason investment and rely on internal depth to stabilize the roster.
