What happened to Starling Marte? New York Mets star scratched from game against White Sox at last minute

Modified Jul 18, 2023 23:04 GMT

Starling Marte was scratched from game against White Sox at last minute

New York Mets outfielder Starling Marte was scratched from Tuesday's game against the Chicago White Sox at the last minute.

Reports noted that Marte was scratched due to a migraine, though it was also noted that the outfielder is still contending with "lingering pain and soreness" from off-season groin surgery.

Regarding the groin surgery and the after-effects he's suffered during his less-than-ideal season with the New York Mets, Starling Marte told Abbey Mastracco of the New York Daily News:

"I can’t lie and say it’s affecting my running, because that’s not how I feel at the very moment, but at the same time, we’re working every day and we’re doing everything we need to do to make it better."

Starling Marte was an All-Star for the second time in his career last season, his first with the New York Mets. However, his 2023 numbers have been far off his 2022 pace.

Last season, Marte hit .292 with 16 home runs and 63 RBIs in 118 games. So far this season, he is hitting .254 with five homers and 28 RBIs in 84 games.

Marte's head and groin troubles are just the latest turbulence to hit the Mets during the organization's nightmarish 2023 campaign.

The team lost two of three against the Los Angeles Dodgers in its first series since the All-Star break and enter Tuesday's series opener against the White Sox at 43-50 on year. New York is 18.5 games behind the National League East-leading Atlanta Braves and 8.5 games out of a Wild Card playoff spot.

New York Mets signed Starling Marte through 2025

Starling Marte #6 of the New York Mets reacts after striking out

Marte, 34, is signed to a four-year, $78 million contract that runs through the 2025 season. A 12-year MLB veteran, Marte has a .287 career average with 147 homers and 593 RBIs since debuting with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2012. He has also played for the Miami Marlins, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Oakland Athletics.

Edited by Tom Carothers