New York Mets outfielder and designated hitter is entering his ninth MLB season, though he has played over 100 games in only four of them. The 31-year-old appeared in 54 of 60 games during the COVID-shortened 2020 season. Throughout his career, Winker has dealt with multiple injuries, undergoing knee and neck surgeries after the 2022 season. Despite these setbacks, the 2021 All-Star has maintained a solid career slash line of .262/.367/.437 with 95 home runs and 324 RBIs across 755 games.
Winker played a key role for the Mets in the 2024 postseason, hitting .318/.531/.636 with a home run and four RBIs in 22 at-bats. The 6-foot-2, 206-pound slugger was acquired from the Washington Nationals on July 28 before re-signing with New York on a one-year, $8 million contract in January.
Recently, Winker had another injury scare when he exited Monday’s game against the Tampa Bay Rays in the third inning due to a cramp. However, according to SNY, the former Cincinnati Red is doing fine.
“I got treatment on it, I feel better,” he said. “I’m not really too concerned about it.”
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Winker is batting .296 with two RBIs and an .832 OPS this spring. The Mets’ outfield has been strong offensively, with right fielder Juan Soto leading the team with four home runs while slashing .385/.448/.923.
Meanwhile, center fielder Jose Siri has driven in a team-high eight RBIs despite hitting just .148. Left fielder Jose Azocar has also contributed, posting a .355/.394/.452 slash line with one homer and six RBIs.
New York will wrap up spring training with six games in six days, beginning Wednesday. The team will then kick off the regular season on March 27 with a road series against the Houston Astros.
