The New York Mets’ lineup took another significant hit as they prepare for their upcoming Subway Series against the Yankees, having already been dealt a blow with the loss of closer Edwin Diaz for 10 games. Now, they’ll be without Starling Marte, one of their leading hitters, as the outfielder is set to be placed on the 10-day injured list. This development was confirmed by a source late Monday night to Sports Illustrated, following initial reports by Mike Puma of the New York Post about Marte’s challenging medical diagnosis.

According to Puma’s report, Marte has been diagnosed with bone inflammation in his right knee, with medical experts advising a rest period of approximately 15 days. This diagnosis and the consequent rest recommendation were also echoed by Pat Ragazzo on Twitter, highlighting the gravity of Marte’s condition.

Marte’s offensive prowess, especially over the past month, has been crucial for the Mets. He has managed to maintain a .316 batting average along with an .859 OPS, making his timing for heading to the IL particularly unfortunate as the Mets gear up for their highly anticipated series against the Yankees.

The 35-year-old outfielder has been wrestling with knee discomfort for several weeks, necessitating sporadic rest days. However, the situation escalated during Saturday’s game against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field, compelling Marte to leave mid-game and return to New York for further medical evaluation.

Discussing the knee issue, Marte shared with reporters through an interpreter, “It’s been a bit of a roller coaster with some days feeling better than others. We’ve been trying to manage it, but Saturday was particularly bad.”

Marte’s struggle with injuries isn’t new. The 2023 season saw him undergo double groin surgery, which significantly impacted his performance and limited him to just 86 games.

His performance took a downturn last year, making this season’s offensive resurgence all the more significant for the Mets. Through 66 games this season, he’s already shown remarkable improvement, boasting a .278/.328/.416 slash line, with seven homers and 30 RBIs.

As Marte heads to the IL for at least 15 days, the Mets hope this period of rest and treatment will be sufficient for their star right fielder to make a full and prompt recovery. However, it remains to be seen whether this prescribed rest period will adequately address the inflammation in Marte’s knee and restore him to his peak performance level.