Jose Iglesias went from the minor leagues to a major player for the Mets.
The Mets are leaning more than ever on the 34-year-old infielder during their playoff push with shortstop Francisco Lindor out with an injured back and second baseman Jeff McNeil likely lost for the regular season with a fractured wrist.
Iglesias was back in the starting lineup for Tuesday night’s crucial contest against the Nationals, hitting leadoff, where he’s batted in each of the three games Lindor has missed.
“We’re all big-leaguers here,” Iglesias told the Daily News on Tuesday at Citi Field. “We know what it takes. It’s gonna come down to every single person in this clubhouse and this organization to win it all. It’s a group thing, and we’re in a good position.”
The Mets began Tuesday with a one-game lead over the Braves for the third and final National League Wild Card spot with 12 games to play.
Iglesias extended his hitting streak to 10 games in Monday’s 2-1 win over Washington, during which he delivered an RBI infield single in the bottom of the eighth that tied the game, 1-1.
The 12-year MLB veteran entered Tuesday with a .323 average and an .809 OPS in 220 at-bats — not bad for a player who spent the first two months of the season at Triple-A Syracuse.
“Part of the winning baseball and the conversations that go on behind the scenes, he’s pretty involved in those,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. “He’s done it. He’s been in this league for a long time.”
Long known for his defense, Iglesias batted .292 with the Rockies in 2022 but failed to make an MLB roster last year. He spent time in the minors with Miami and San Diego but opted out of both deals, then signed a minor-league contract with the Mets in December.
In the minors, the Mets asked Iglesias to work on his defensive range, an adjustment he said included focusing on his pre-pitch anticipation.
Shortly after he was called up in late May, Iglesias made his mark on the Mets. His viral Latin pop single, “OMG”, which he released under the stage name Candelita, became a rally anthem for his teammates and fans, with Citi Field playing the upbeat song as Mets players round the bases on home runs.
The righty-hitting Iglesias has primarily played second base for the Mets, with the lefty-swinging McNeil also seeing time in right field before his injury. Iglesias has also appeared in 31 games at third base, mostly as a defensive replacement, and made his first start of the season at shortstop Monday.
That start came in place of Lindor, who left Friday’s and Sunday’s games with lower back discomfort and missed Saturday’s and Monday’s altogether. Lindor said Monday that an MRI came back clean and that he could return this week, but he remained out of the lineup Tuesday.
“It’s not a one-man show,” Iglesias said. “We definitely miss [Lindor] a lot. He is a huge part of our team. Personally, I can tell you I miss him over there. It’s sad to see Jeff also going down. … But we’ve just got to step up.”
After McNeil went on the injured list on Sept. 8, Mendoza said he did not expect to play Iglesias more than three or four days in a row.
But with Lindor now ailing as well, Iglesias started his sixth game in a row Tuesday, and his fifth in a row since the Mets’ last off day.
“He’s managing well,” Mendoza said. “He’s spending extra time in the training room and maybe cutting down a little bit of his work pregame, but this is something that we’ll continue to monitor, because he’s too important for this team.”
The Mets called up prized prospect Luisangel Acuña on Saturday, adding other option to the infield mix.
Acuña entered Monday night’s game on defense at shortstop in the ninth inning, with Iglesias shifting to second. The 22-year-old Acuña made four putouts before Starling Marte’s walk-off single gave the Mets a 10th-inning win.
Acuña was in the starting lineup Tuesday at shortstop, with Iglesias back at second.
“I don’t want to be in this position, but I believe in my teammates,” Lindor said Monday. “I believe in what they can do, and I’ll be their biggest cheerleader.”
SENGA SESSION
Mets ace Kodai Senga threw a bullpen session Tuesday as he continues to work toward a potential return from a high-grade calf strain.
His next step is yet to be determined, Mendoza said.
“We’ll see whether it’s a live BP, a minor-league game [or] another bullpen,” the manager said. “We’ve just got to wait and see how he feels tomorrow.”
Senga missed the first four months of the season after being diagnosed during spring training with a shoulder strain.
He then injured his calf during his season debut on July 26, putting the rest of his year in jeopardy.
Earlier this month, Senga said he hopes to return on or around Sept. 25, when he is eligible to come off of the 60-day injured list. He is open to doing so as a reliever, he said at the time.
Asked Tuesday if that timeline remains realistic, Mendoza said, “Yeah, as long as he’s feeling good and continues to progress.”
“He’s day-to-day, but hopefully we’re having those conversations here pretty soon,” Mendoza said.
LINDOR LATEST
Following his MRI on Monday, Lindor expressed confidence he would return this season.
Tuesday didn’t come with much of an update, but Mendoza said of his star shortstop, “Talking to the trainers, right away they told me he’s doing better.”
Lindor, 30, started 148 of the Mets’ first 149 games, including 147 at shortstop. The National League MVP candidate leads the Mets with 86 RBI, 27 stolen bases and an .836 OPS.
