Starling Marte had quite a stroke of luck. Despite not ducking, he avoided serious injury.
The Mets outfielder left the field unassisted after being hit on the left ear flap by a 93-mph fastball from Elvin Rodriguez during the fifth inning of a 10-4 exhibition loss to the Tampa Bay Rays.
According to manager Buck Showalter, concussion tests came back negative, and Marte appeared to be in good condition.
“Maybe he got lucky — we hope so,” Showalter remarked. “He’ll be receiving several calls in the next 24 hours to ensure everything is alright.”
Further tests are scheduled for Marte on Monday, said the Mets. This game marked his second appearance in spring training as he recovers from November groin surgery. He is expected to be ready for Opening Day.
The Mets have been cautious with Marte, who faced multiple injuries last season. In September, he broke his right middle finger after being hit by a pitch from Pittsburgh Pirates’ Mitch Keller, resulting in a stint on the injured list.
He also had a quad injury for much of the season. Marte returned from the finger injury for the National League Wild Card Series and finished last season with a .292/.347/.468 line, including 16 homers, 24 doubles, and 63 RBIs.