Mets' Jorge Polanco to have ankle surgery, miss rest of season
Mets designated hitter Jorge Polanco heads to first after his single against the Washington Nationals during the ninth inning at Citi Field on Aug. 15, 2026. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
Jorge Polanco’s tortured Flushing debut couldn’t end fast enough -- and it finally did Wednesday, when the Mets announced he was back on the IL due to left ankle bursitis, with surgery to follow in the “near-future” according to interim manager Andy Green.
Polanco appeared in just 37 games because of his recurring ankle issues, batting .148 with two homers and a .431 OPS. As if that wasn’t bad enough, the Mets gave Polanco a two-year, $40 million deal to be their cheaper alternative to Pete Alonso, despite his injury-prone history and almost zero experience at first base. Polanco made a total of two starts at the position, and it’s unclear if the Mets would even consider him there in the future, whenever he does return from surgery.
“It’s gotten to the point where he just can’t get freedom from the pain,” Green said Wednesday before the Mets’ 4-2 victory over the Padres. “He has gone out there and grinded. He’s wanted to post for this team, and it’s at the point now where surgery is actually his best option.”
Green said that Polanco is expected to resume a progression of baseball activity in time for spring training next year. But after what’s transpired this past season -- and his sketchy medical history -- Polanco will be difficult to rely on. Polanco declined to speak to reporters Wednesday after he was placed on the IL.
A few hours later, Jared Young -- one of Polanco’s half-dozen replacements -- delivered some insurance with a two-out RBI single in the eighth inning. Carson Benge snapped a scoreless tie in the fourth with his 15th homer, a two-run shot off Padres starter Michael King. Benge joins Darryl Strawberry as the only two rookies in franchise history with 15 home runs and 15 stolen bases in their first season. He’s also the only rookie in the majors to reach that mark this year.
“I’m feeling like I’m in a good spot,” said Benge, who is hitting .293 with an .808 OPS since May 1. “I feel like I’m on time with just about every pitch. Seeing the ball well. It’s a good place to be.”
The Mets are in a good place lately, too. They’ve won 11 of 15, and in taking the series from the Padres -- the owners of the NL’s third wild card -- the Mets moved above .500 (24-23) since Green took over for the fired Carlos Mendoza in late June.
“It feels gritty to me,” Green said. “It feels like the kind of club that’s trying to scratch and claw to figure out a way to win a baseball game.”
David Lennon is an award-winning columnist, a voter for baseball's Hall of Fame and has covered six no-hitters, including two perfect games.
