The Pittsburgh Pirates enjoyed a day off before they kick off a series against the New York Mets on Friday. When they do get back on the field, they will have to prepare to face star third baseman Mark Vientos, who appears set to make a return from injury.
After struggling during his first stretch in the majors, Vientos broke out last season for New York, hitting .266 with 27 home runs and 71 RBIs in 11 games. This season, he hasn’t been effective, as he’s hitting .230 with six home runs and 21 RBIs, but he could turn things around now that he’s back to full health.
Vientos hit the injured list on June 3 after suffering a hamstring strain, but he has worked his way back to action fairly quickly. After completing a rehab stint in the minors, the 25-year-old third baseman said Thursday he is set to be back in New York’s lineup on Friday against the Pirates.
“It’s good to be back with the guys and see a bunch of faces that I missed and officially play with the team pretty soon,” Vientos said about his impending return.
When asked whether he would be playing on Friday, Vientos simply responded, “Yes.”
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Pittsburgh already faced an uphill battle when it came to beating New York in this series, but the impending return of Vientos will likely make things more difficult. At his best, Vientos is driving in runs at the heart of the Mets order, although the Pirates pitchers may opt to attack him instead of guys like Juan Soto, Pete Alonso, and Francisco Lindor given that he’s struggled so far this year.
Mitch Keller is in line to start on Friday, with Bailey Falter and Mike Burrows set to follow behind him. While Vientos still has to be activated, it looks like the Pirates pitching staff will have another slugger to worry about in their upcoming series.
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