Mets to shuffle roster after OF Tauchman injured

JUPITER, Fla. -- New York Mets outfielder Mike Tauchman has a meniscus tear in his left knee that will require surgery, manager Carlos Mendoza said Sunday, upending the club's Opening Day roster plan days before the start of the season.

Tauchman, who suffered the injury in a game Saturday, had been projected to make the Mets' roster after signing a minor league deal last month. Instead, he will miss the beginning of the season. Mendoza said a timetable to return is not yet known. The Mets open the regular season against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday.

"This is a guy that was pretty much in the mix, but we're still good with the options that we got here," Mendoza said. "Obviously, we got a lot of guys that are playing well, and we know injuries happen. It's tough for him and, obviously, the team, but we still feel pretty good with the guys that we got here."

The 35-year-old Tauchman slashed .263/.356/.400 with nine home runs and 1.4 fWAR in 93 games for the Chicago White Sox. His injury means outfield prospect Carson Benge, who was already likely to make the roster, is all but assured of a spot on the roster as the Mets' primary right fielder, though Mendoza again said a decision has not yet been made.

The question, assuming Benge is on the roster, is whether the Mets will carry a fifth outfielder, which was the expectation before the left-handed-hitting Tauchman's injury, or add another infielder. The leading internal candidates are left-handed-hitting outfielder Jared Young and switch-hitting infielder Vidal Bruján.

Choosing Bruján would give the Mets a dedicated backup shortstop. Otherwise, Bo Bichette, who will start at third base, would be Francisco Lindor's de facto backup. The Mets could also look for an external solution as rosters crunch in the days leading up to Opening Day and an influx of veterans hit the free agent market.

Craig Kimbrel could join that group of veteran free agents after the Mets informed the nine-time All-Star reliever that he will not make the team. Mendoza said Kimbrel, 37, is "leaning" toward remaining with the organization over joining another team. If he remains with the Mets, Mendoza said he would stay back in Florida instead of reporting to a minor league affiliate up north.

"There's a good chance he stays back here in Florida to continue to pitch until the opportunity presents [itself]," Mendoza said. "That goes to show you who he is as a person, as a human, as a competitor, because this is a very good opportunity here."

Kimbrel signed a minor league deal with the Mets at the end of January. After pitching in one game with the Atlanta Braves last season, Kimbrel finished the year with 13 appearances for the Houston Astros. The right-hander posted a 2.45 ERA with 16 strikeouts and six walks in 11 innings across his 14 outings for the two teams.

Kimbrel had been competing for the final spot in New York's bullpen. Mendoza said the choices are narrowed down to left-handers Bryan Hudson and Richard Lovelady.