Carson Benge leaves Mets-Pirates game with left wrist soreness after wall catch

The Mets got an early reminder that rookie outfielders can change games and also pay a price for doing it. In the bottom of the fourth inning at PNC Park on Friday night, Carson Benge left with left wrist soreness after a hard, crashing catch at the wall in the left-field corner.

Benge, a Mets rookie, came down the line on a fly ball and made an “incredible” type of play for the kind of highlight that usually makes the next night’s recap. The play ended with him contacting the wall in the left-field corner, and moments later the Mets had to regroup as he took himself out of the game.

The official MLB report framed it as left wrist soreness, with Benge exiting during that fourth-inning sequence. The nature of outfield collisions at the fence point to why wrist soreness is a common risk when a player braces for impact with his hands and forearms, though the Mets have not offered additional medical details in the league announcement.

The timing mattered for Pittsburgh’s lineup as well as New York’s. The bottom of the fourth is late enough into the game that teams start tightening their defensive matchups and inning-by-inning plans, and an outfield change can affect late-inning reads, ball-tracking assignments, and substitutions.

Benge’s catch came on a fly ball hit by Ronny Simon, a detail that underscores how aggressively the Pirates continued to challenge the left side of the field. For New York, it was a moment where the defense produced, but it also introduced uncertainty about its next few innings if Benge could not immediately return.

The Mets roster has to treat any wrist issue cautiously, because the injury can influence everything from throwing mechanics to how an outfielder secures the ball when he makes contact with the wall or the turf. With an inning already in motion and the game moving forward, the Mets’ immediate priority was getting Benge evaluated and keeping their defensive structure intact.

For what to watch next, the key is how quickly the soreness settles and whether the Mets can confirm Benge’s availability for subsequent days. Even when the initial report uses cautious language like soreness, the follow-up updates tend to determine whether an off-day plan is enough or whether additional restraint is required.