HARTFORD, Conn. – New York Mets left fielder Jesse Winker had the chance to speak with the World Baseball Network prior to his rehab assignment start with Double-A Binghamton on Thursday night.
The one-time All-Star, 31-year-old left-handed hitter from Buffalo, N.Y., landed on the 10-day injured list with a right oblique strain on May 5 and was transferred to the 60-day injured list on June 24, before being sent to High-A Brooklyn for a rehab assignment on June 29.
Winker, on Wednesday, July 2, hit a three-run home run into the second deck in right field off Hartford right-handed pitcher Carlos Torres.
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Winker played in 24 games with the Mets during the 2025 season and batted .239/.321/.418 with 78 plate appearances, collecting 16 hits, five doubles, two triples, one home run, 10 RBI, one stolen base, nine walks, and 20 strikeouts before landing on the injured list.
Last season, Winker started the year with the Washington Nationals before he was traded to the Mets on July 28, 2024, in exchange for right-handed pitcher Tyler Stuart heading to the nation’s capital.
Prior to heading to Flushing, Winker played in 101 games with the Nationals and hit .257 with 379 plate appearances, pounding 81 hits, 18 doubles, 11 home runs, 45 RBI, 14 stolen bases, 53 walks, 84 strikeouts, and a .793 OPS before being with the orange and blue.
With the Mets, Winker played in 44 games with 129 plate appearances and batted .243, smacking 28 hits, five doubles, three home runs, 13 RBI, 10 walks, and 22 strikeouts before the 2024 postseason.
The Mets finished tied for second place with the Atlanta Braves in the National League East Division with their record at 89-73, prior to them playing the Milwaukee Brewers in the 2024 NLWCS.
Winker played in 10 games in the 2024 postseason and hit .318/.531/.636 with 22 at-bats, scoring seven runs, seven hits, two triples, one home run, four RBI, one stolen base, seven walks, and four strikeouts, prior to losing in the NLCS to the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium.
Winker has played nine seasons in Major League Baseball with the Cincinnati Reds from 2017-21, the Seattle Mariners in 2022, the Milwaukee Brewers in 2023, the Nationals in 2024, and with the Mets since the 2024 season. He has played in 779 games with a lifetime average of .262 with 2,853 plate appearances, recording 636 hits, 127 doubles, five triples, 96 home runs, 334 RBI, swiping 18 bases, 365 walks, 531 strikeouts, and a .803 OPS.
Mets manager Carlos Mendoza will have to evaluate his outfield depth closely before and after the All-Star Break and assess how he can use Winker, either as the designated hitter or in left field, due to Jose Siri being on the 60-day injured list with a left tibia fracture suffered back on April 17.
Winker could split duties at the designated hitter role once he is activated to the official roster, with Mark Vientos, Ronny Mauricio, and Starling Marte currently listed for that position.
Travis Jankowski, Tyrone Taylor, Jeff McNeil, and Brandon Nimmo are currently on the depth chart in left field, and other evaluations will have to be made by the Mets front office on who will be sent down once Winker gets called back up to the organization.
