Jorge Polanco’s first season with the Mets has ended the way so much of it went: badly.
The former Twins fan favorite was placed on the injured list Wednesday with left ankle bursitis and will undergo surgery, according to interim manager Andy Green. That means Polanco won’t play again this year, closing the book on a frustrating 2026 campaign in New York.
Polanco’s year had already been derailed once before. The Mets put him on the IL on April 18 with a wrist injury, then finally activated him on July 7.
He never found much traction after that. In 37 games, he hit .148/.201/.230 with seven extra-base hits and six RBI across 145 plate appearances.
Most of his work came at designated hitter, where he appeared in 35 of those 37 games. He played first base in the other two.
For the Mets, Polanco’s injury is just the latest turn in a season that has gone off the rails despite a winter full of aggressive moves. New York signed Polanco to a two-year, $40 million deal, then spent the offseason reshaping the roster after missing the postseason last year.
The front office let Pete Alonso and Edwin Díaz leave in free agency, traded Brandon Nimmo to the Texas Rangers for Marcus Semien, sent Jeff McNeil to the Athletics, dealt Luisangel Acuña to the Chicago White Sox for Luis Robert Jr., acquired Freddy Peralta from the Milwaukee Brewers, and added Bo Bichette, Devin Williams and Luke Weaver.
Even with all of that, the Mets are stuck in last place in the National League East at 58-70. They’re 17 games behind the first-place Atlanta Braves and 10 games back of the San Diego Padres for the final National League Wild Card spot.
The payroll only sharpens the disappointment. According to Spotrac, the Mets are carrying the second-highest payroll in baseball at roughly $361.5 million, behind only the Los Angeles Dodgers at roughly $430.4 million.
Polanco, who represented the Twins in the 2019 All-Star Game, is unlikely to be a simple offseason fix for New York. The article notes it’s doubtful the Mets would move on from him, since another team probably wouldn’t take on much of his salary or send back meaningful young talent. But the rest of the roster could be headed for another major reset.
In Other News...
Former Twins Are Making Minnesota's Recent Turnover Look Very Different
As the Twins get ready to open a series against the Padres, a few familiar names are still hanging around the edges of the organizations recent roster churn, just in different uniforms. Max Kepler, Willi Castro and Caleb Thielbar all moved on from Minnesota, and their new situations offer a quick reminder that turnover does not always settle neatly in the moment.
Kepler is with the Diamondbacks but cannot be part of their playoff roster because of a suspension, while Castro has put together solid offensive numbers with the Rockies. Thielbar, meanwhile, is pitching for the Cubs and has had a difficult season, which only adds to the mixed picture. For the Twins, it is the kind of ex-factor list that can make a busy roster reset look a little more complicated in hindsight. [Read more 🡒]
Twins Deadline Pitching Haul Is Already Changing The Playoff Picture
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What makes the haul stand out is how quickly the pieces have fit. The Twins did not just add arms for the sake of depth, they added pitchers who have already changed the way the staff is functioning from one night to the next. Minter, Nance and Hoffman have each given the club stronger work in relief, and Kremer has helped calm things down at the front of games, leaving Minnesota with a much different pitching profile as the playoff race tightens. [Read more 🡒]
Twins Top Prospect Is Already Forcing One Big Question
Kaelen Culpeppers first two weeks in the majors have given the Twins a little of everything to weigh. Called up on Aug. 7, the top prospect has already flashed the kind of bat speed and power that made him such an intriguing arrival, with a handful of extra-base hits to his name and enough hard contact to suggest the ceiling is real. For a Minnesota club that has spent plenty of time thinking about the next wave, Culpepper has made it clear he belongs in the conversation sooner rather than later.
The harder question is how quickly the rest of his game catches up. His plate discipline still needs work, with a chase rate that points to the usual rookie growing pains and a strikeout-to-walk profile that shows there is room for refinement. Shortstop has been its own test, too, as he adjusts to big-league speed and angles, even if his confidence at the plate has started to improve over his last seven games. For the Twins, the intrigue is no longer whether Culpepper can impact the roster, but how much patience they should have while he figures out the details. [Read more 🡒]