Mets' Starling Marte Has Surgery on Core Muscle Injury; Recovery to Last 8 Weeks

The New York Mets announced outfielder Starling Marte underwent surgery on Tuesday to repair a core muscle injury.

The recovery for this procedure usually takes eight weeks, providing time for him to compete at Spring Training without restrictions.

D.J. Short of NBC Sports noted Marte suffered the original injury on July 9, although he missed just four games before returning. He also missed the final few weeks of the regular season with a fractured finger before playing in the postseason.

Marte finished the season hitting .292 with 16 home runs and 18 stolen bases in 118 games, earning his second career All-Star selection.

The 34-year-old signed a four-year deal with the Mets as a free agent last offseason and finished third on the team with an .814 OPS. He was a key part of the team finishing with 101 wins, tied for third-most in the majors while earning a playoff appearance for the first time since 2016.

With three years remaining under contract, Marte should remain an important part of the lineup in 2023, especially with center fielder Brandon Nimmo hitting free agency.

Marte only played two games in center last season for the Mets, but he played it almost exclusively over the past four years with the Oakland Athletics, Miami Marlins, Arizona Diamondbacks and Pittsburgh Pirates. It gives the team added versatility and options heading into the offseason.

The next challenge will be to stay healthy after missing over 40 games in each of the past two seasons.