Once upon a time, not so long ago, New York Mets infielder Ronny Mauricio was among the very best prospects in the game. He even made his MLB debut in 2023 and got 106 plate appearances to get his feet wet. But he suffered a torn ACL in winter ball that year and missed the entire 2024 campaign while rehabbing.
Ronny Mauricio seemingly behind schedule in his ACL recovery
After undergoing a cleanup procedure in his right knee in August, it was reported in early December that he was getting close to performing baseball activities. On Thursday, however, developments weren’t as positive:
“Ronny Mauricio is continuing his knee rehab, but it’s possible he won’t be ready for the start of spring training. Mets officials are taking it day by day with him,” Mike Puma of the New York Post wrote on X.
There hasn’t been news of a setback, but it’s clear that Mauricio’s recovery has experienced a couple of bumps in the road. Otherwise, his status for the start of the spring wouldn’t be in question.
The Mets can afford to take things slow with Mauricio
The good thing for the Mets is that they have depth on the infield and are considering making another addition, whether it is Pete Alonso, Alex Bregman, or Vladimir Guerrero Jr. They don’t need Mauricio to be ready by spring training: on the contrary, they can afford to give him time to rehab and regain his rhythm at the plate in the minor leagues.
If he plays at the MLB level this year, it likely won’t be in the first half. The Mets are counting on him to bounce back eventually, though. He wasn’t as sharp in that 2023 cameo with the Mets, returning a 79 wRC+. He was at 108 that same year in Triple-A, though, with 23 home runs and 24 stolen bases. If Mauricio can sharpen up some plate discipline issues, he has the offensive upside to be a factor in the Mets’ future.