RESOLVING THE LEDGER
This is one outlet's own report from Yahoo Sports — the article as it was filed. Other outlets are covering the same event; open the full story to compare every source side by side.
See the full story · 2 sources
Before New York Mets outfielder Luis Robert Jr. joined the team, he was the player with promise who could never duplicate that one great year he had for the Chicago White Sox. Robert reminded his old team of the promise he once held by destroying the White Sox with a pair of monster homers as the Mets outlasted Chicago with a 10-5 win.
“It feels good to hit homers against any team,” Robert said after the game in a piece written by Anthony DiCom of MLB.com . “But I will say, it did feel good to hit the home runs here, just because it was a stadium that I played so many games in -- essentially my whole career.”
Robert played left field last night in a season where his health has once again undermined a promising career, and White Sox manager Will Venable acknowledged the obvious from the opposite dugout.
“He got us good today,” White Sox manager Will Venable said. “Obviously, a couple of really big hits. Really talented player that you make mistakes to him, he’s going to hurt you.”
Robert was expected to be traded at the deadline, but the market for him dried up when he struggled after returning to the lineup after spending time on the IL due to a lumbar spine disc herniation, and he hit just .125 with an OPS of .347.
Now, as DiComo noted, the outfielder is on a tear. Robert’s slash line is .318/.347/.682 over the last 14 games, and his tantalizing talent is once again on display. No one quite knows what his future holds, but interim manager Andy Green has seen Robert become part of his team’s surge that has the Mets with one of the best records in baseball since the deadline.
“Really happy for Luis Robert to come here and put two swings on balls like that,” Mets interim manager Andy Green said. “That’s got to feel really good.”
So what should the Mets do about Robert? He’ll probably want to be a starter somewhere, most likely on a prove-it contract of some sort, but his situation will also be hampered to some extent by the upcoming labor turmoil this offseason.
That could make him a player in limbo, but it’s doubtful the Mets will want him given the risk of penciling him in the lineup. The best course of action is simply to enjoy the surge and wonder about what might have been if Robert continues to pound the ball.
AIPROPX is an independent multi-source news index — we track, compare, and connect coverage from across the web into one place you won't find anywhere else.