Mets pause Jorge Polanco’s rehab after left ankle soreness

The Mets have paused first baseman Jorge Polanco’s minor league rehab assignment after he reported left ankle soreness while progressing toward a return to the active roster. According to the club, Polanco’s rehab with Triple-A Syracuse was shut down on Saturday after he felt discomfort during warmups and while running as part of his build-up, and he will return to New York for further testing.

Manager Carlos Mendoza said Polanco alerted the training staff after feeling some discomfort in the middle of his running progression before Syracuse’s game, and the team made the decision to shut him down rather than push through. Mendoza also indicated the Mets were trying to confirm they had the right level of response before Polanco rejoined New York, a process that was still in the “continue to build him up” phase.

Polanco has been on the injured list since April 18, dealing with left Achilles bursitis. He began his rehab on May 27 at Double-A Binghamton, initially working back as a designated hitter before the Mets advanced him into a longer progression.

The Mets’ plan appeared to be moving forward quickly enough that Polanco could have been available as early as the weekend series in San Diego, Mendoza said, but New York elected to keep building his workload. The club’s reported benchmark included increased hitting work and playing time on defense (including time at first base), which is a typical step for position players trying to prove they can handle both daily reps and game-speed movement after a lower-body issue.

The timing is notable because Polanco’s injury history this year has already forced the organization to be flexible with expectations. When New York discussed the start of his rehab, the Mets acknowledged Polanco is not expected to be 100 percent and that he learned multiple opinions from outside doctors about how his Achilles bursitis would likely behave. The Mets also framed the season as something he would manage through discomfort if possible, while keeping surgery as a potential “worst-case” option if pain worsened again.

From a team-building standpoint, this setback extends the Mets’ need to cover first base and related corner-infield and DH responsibilities without their returning veteran. It also adds uncertainty to the timeline New York was trying to establish after moving Polanco from early rehab to Syracuse, and it could further compress how many practice reps the Mets can realistically give other options before settling on a longer-running lineup plan.

What to watch next is how the Mets handle the evaluation when Polanco returns to New York, and whether the club can resume baseball activities in a way that avoids another shutdown. If the ankle soreness remains manageable, the expectation is that the Mets will likely rerun the progression steps they already had in motion. If the soreness indicates a broader flare, the active roster picture could stay unsettled for longer than New York had hoped.