When the Mets play their first World Series game since 2000, they'll have a secret weapon in the fold.
The team announced that Juan Uribe will be a part of the World Series roster and he'll likely see in-game action for the first time since Sept. 25 against the Royals. The veteran infielder suffered a chest injury when diving after a ball on Sept. 20 and then complicated the issue further five days later on a check swing.
Where The NL Champ Mets Partied After NLCS Clincher
Now, he's ready to help the Mets go for their first World Series title since 1986 and to notch his third championship since 2005. Game 1 between the Mets and Royals opens Tuesday in Kansas City.
New York acquired Uribe for moments just like this as he offers a solid right-handed bat off the bench and brings postseason experience to a mostly young club. After being acquired from the Braves in July, Uribe hit .219 with six homers and 20 RBIs. To clear a roster spot for Uribe, rookie Matt Reynolds was removed by the Mets.
3 Replacements For Former Dodgers Skipper Don Mattingly
Uribe sat out when the Mets ousted the Dodgers in five games in the NLDS and then again when they swept the Cubs in the NLCS. He took batting practice Monday and was cleared as ready to go.
Our 2015 #WorldSeries Roster. #Mets pic.twitter.com/GbRvBfconT
(@Mets) October 27, 2015
To clear a roster spot for the veteran, the Mets left rookie Matt Reynolds off their roster. Reynolds took a playoff roster spot after Ruben Tejada suffered a broken leg in Game 2 of the NLDS, but he never saw action in what would have marked his MLB debut.
Reynolds was on-hand to backup Wilmer Flores, but now Uribe and Kelly Johnson, who is expected to serve as designated hitter in Game 1 Tuesday at Kauffman Stadium, serve as the primary backup infielders for New York. If Uribe is to get hurt, the Mets can replace him on the roster with approval from the commissioner's office, but he'd be ineligible to return later in the series.
Uribe owns a .204/.241/.338 slash line in the playoffs with five homers and 24 RBIs. If the Mets win, it'll mark the third time Uribe won the World Series in the last decade. He won the Fall Classic with the White Sox with 2005 and again with the Giants in 2010.
The Royals boast a reliever with plenty of World Series experience as Ryan Madson pitched in the Fall Classic in back-to-back seasons for the Phillies in 2008 and '09.
In 2010, Uribe took Madson deep with the game-winning homer in the eighth inning of NLCS Game 6, clinching the series for San Francisco, leading to its eventual World Series triumph.
For more content, follow us on Twitter @SportsWN or LIKE US on Facebook
© Copyright 2024 Sports World News, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
