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Starling Marte believes he’s getting closer to returning.
Marte says his right knee feels good, and he has passed all the tests trainers have been putting him through since returning to baseball activities last Friday.
On Thursday, Marte got in some work in the outfield and hit.
The next big step for Marte is to test out the knee by starting a running program.
That is expected to happen in the next few days.
After that, a rehabilitation assignment won’t be too far behind, although a timetable for one is uncertain, according to manager Carlos Mendoza.
It depends on how the knee reacts as Marte’s activity increases.
“I think I’m very close,” the outfielder said before the Mets opened up a big four-game series with the rival Braves at Citi Field on Thursday. “If everything goes right today, I’ll take the next step.
“It feels good. Every test that we’ve done, I’ve passed. It feels good up until this point. … We’re going to have to wait and see how I respond, but right now everything feels good.”
The 35-year-old Marte — who last appeared in a game for the Mets on June 22 — has been sidelined with a bone bruise in his right knee.
He was having a strong offensive season, slashing .278/.328/.416 with seven home runs, 12 stolen bases and an OPS of .745.
Conversely, Marte has struggled defensively, producing an Outs Above Average of minus-9.
In his absence, the Mets have used Tyrone Taylor, DJ Stewart and Jeff McNeil all in right field to mixed results. Getting Marte back would only enhance their depth.
“The team is playing great right now, they’re playing really good baseball up until this point,” Marte said. “I can’t wait to get back out there so I can help any way that I can.”
Two weeks ago, Marte underwent a follow-up MRI exam that showed the bone bruise was healing, but wasn’t all the way there yet.
At the time, the knee still didn’t feel right. He doesn’t believe that he’ll need another MRI before starting a rehab assignment.
“I don’t think so, because my knee right now feels really good,” Marte said. “The reason why we did that MRI [the last time] was because I was still feeling a little bit of discomfort.”
