New York Mets outfielder Jesse Winker (back) received an epidural and will be shut down for at least another week. Winker was placed on the IL on July 11 and has appeared in 26 games this season, slashing .229/.309/.400 with one home run. He had missed over two months due to a right oblique strain before briefly returning on July 8. With durability concerns mounting and little production when active, fantasy managers should take a wait-and-see approach. Until Winker can stay healthy and contribute, he's not worth a roster spot in most formats.

The New York Mets announced on Friday that they placed outfielder Jesse Winker (back) on the 10-day injured list with back inflammation and recalled infielder Jared Young from Triple-A Syracuse in a corresponding move. Winker had just returned from the 60-day IL due to an oblique injury not long ago, but now he's headed back to the shelf and won't be available to the Mets until sometime in the second half of the season. In the meantime, Mark Vientos is expected to see more playing time in the designated hitter spot for the Mets. Winker has only been able to play in 26 games in 2025 in his first full year in New York, and he's hit jut .229 (16-for-70) with a homer, 10 RBI, eight runs scored and one stolen base. It's unclear if Winker will be ready to return to the Mets shortly after the start of the second half of the season later this month.

MLB.com's Anthony DiComo writes that it sounds like New York Mets outfielder Jesse Winker (back) could be headed to the injured list after his back "locked up" on him during Game 1 of Thursday's doubleheader against the Baltimore Orioles, according to manager Carlos Mendoza. Winker will head to New York for an MRI exam. Determining on the results of the testing, the 31-year-old could head back to the IL just before next week's All-Star break after just coming off the 60-day IL on Tuesday for an oblique strain. It's been that kind of season for Winker, who came into Thursday's action with a .232 average (16-for-69) with a homer and 10 RBI in just 25 games played. It sounds as though we won't see him until sometime in the second half. In the meantime, Mark Vientos could see more opportunities as the team's designated hitter.

Per MLB.com's Anthony DiComo, New York Mets outfielder Jesse Winker (back) exited the first game of Thursday's doubleheader against the hosting Baltimore Orioles with back tightness. Oof. Winker returned from a lengthy stay on the injured list due to an oblique injury just two days ago, but was pinch-hit for in the fourth inning by teammate Mark Vientos as he's now apparently dealing with a back issue. Presumably, the injury occurred during the contest, and he's almost certainly scheduled for further testing. He can be considered day-to-day for now, but back ailments aren't the most straightforward of injuries. Fantasy managers should closely monitor the situation.

The New York Mets have reinstated designated hitter/outfielder Jesse Winker (oblique) from the 60-day injured list. The team opened up room for Winker by sending fellow DH/outfielder Starling Marte (knee) to the 10-day IL and transferring right-hander Tylor Megill (elbow) to the 60-day IL. Winker is in the lineup at DH and hitting fifth on Tuesday against Baltimore Orioles right-hander Brandon Young. The 31-year-old hasn't played since May 4 because of a strained right oblique. Winker has batted .239/.321/.418 with one home run and 10 RBI in 78 plate appearances this season. He took 508 trips to the plate last year and hit .253/.360/.405 with 14 homers, 58 RBI, 63 runs scored, and 14 steals.

New York Mets outfielder Jesse Winker (oblique) could return to action on Tuesday when the Mets begin a series in Baltimore, according to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. Winker has been on the 60-day injured list since the start of May due to a right oblique strain. Winker has appeared in four games during his rehab assignment. Through this brief stint, he has gone 3-for-11 at the dish with a double and a home run. Fantasy managers should continue to keep a close eye on his status leading up to Tuesday's game. Before the injury, Winker held a modest .239/.321/.418 line with five doubles and a home run. When he does return, fantasy managers should expect Winker to see time at DH on the strong side of a platoon.

New York Mets outfielder Jesse Winker (oblique) is on schedule to begin a rehab assignment on Sunday for High-A Brooklyn, reports Andrew Tredinnick. Winker took batting practice at Citi Field on Thursday and is eligible to be activated off the injured list on July 4. Winker has been on the injured list since early May with an oblique strain and will likely play a handful of rehab games and return to the Mets lineup to be a platoon-type contributor against right-handed pitching. Winker had a nice bounce-back season in 2024, where he slashed .253/.360/.405 with 14 home runs, 63 runs scored, and 58 RBI with a career-high 14 stolen bases.

SNY's Anthony DiComo reports that New York Mets outfielder Jesse Winker (oblique) is slated to begin a minor-league rehab assignment this weekend. Per DiComo, Winker will operate as DH by the end of the weekend. It's excellent news for the former Cincinnati Red, who's been shelved with an oblique strain since early May. Oblique injuries can be tricky, hence the long layoff, but the Mets could use Winker right now with their lineup slumping. Despite a mediocre .239/.321/.418 triple slash through 24 contests, he appeared to be heating up before his injury -- raising his average from .196 over a five-game stretch. The 30-year-old is eligible to return on Jul. 4 and could do so if he doesn't suffer any setbacks.

The New York Mets announced on Tuesday that they transferred outfielder Jesse Winker (oblique) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list to make room on the active roster for right-hander Frankie Montas (lat), who is returning from the 60-day IL to make his season debut on Tuesday against the division-rival Atlanta Braves. Winker has progressed very slowly from a strained right oblique and is at least several weeks away from a return, which means he probably won't be ready until after the All-Star break in mid-July. Before his injury, the 31-year-old veteran had gone 16-for-67 (.239) with one home run, 10 RBI, eight runs scored and one stolen base. When he returns, he's expected to fill a platoon role for the Mets in the outfield and potentially at designated hitter, leaving him limited fantasy value in deep-mixed and NL-only formats.

New York Mets outfielder Jesse Winker (oblique) is still "multiple weeks away" from going on a minor-league rehab assignment, according to president of baseball operations David Stearns. It's been a slow recovery from Winker, who suffered a Grade 2 strain of his oblique back on May 4 against the St. Louis Cardinals. Because he hasn't even started a rehab assignment yet, the 31-year-old veteran outfielder won't be back with the Mets until after the All-Star break in mid-July. When he does return to the Big Apple, he'll be in play as a platoon option in the outfield for New York. Winker had gone 16-for-67 (.239) with a home run, 10 RBI, eight runs scored and one steal this year before his oblique injury. Winker has recorded over 20 homers in just one of his eight MLB seasons and won't have a ton of fantasy upside when he's back in what will likely be a limited role.

The New York Mets announced on Monday that they placed outfielder Jesse Winker (oblique) on the 10-day injured list with a right-oblique strain and recalled infielder Brett Baty from Triple-A Syracuse in a corresponding move. Winker injured his right oblique in Sunday's first game of a doubleheader against the St. Louis Cardinals and was sent back to New York for additional testing. Sunday's contest was the first time that the 31-year-old veteran had started in the outfield this year, and he tweaked his oblique trying to throw out a runner at the plate on a sacrifice fly. With Winker out, the Mets are expected to lean more on veteran Starling Marte in the designated hitter spot. Marte is the DH and is batting cleanup for Monday's series opener against the hosting Arizona Diamondbacks. In 24 games, Winker was batting a very mediocre .239/.321/.418 with a homer, 10 RBI and eight runs scored in 78 trips to the plate.UPDATE: Winker was diagnosed with a Grade 2 oblique strain and will be out at least six to eight weeks.

New York Mets outfielder Jesse Winker (side) was taken out early during Sunday's game against the St. Louis Cardinals. Winker was pulled out in the fourth inning due to right side discomfort. The Mets moved players around and shifted Jeff McNeil out into left field to replace Winker. The left-handed slugger will almost certainly sit out the second game of the doubleheader. The expectation is that Winker will undergo further testing to determine the severity of the injury. Fantasy managers should get another update on his status shortly.

New York Mets DH Jesse Winker turned in a productive day in a 19-5 win over the Washington Nationals on Monday. Winker went 2-for-4 with two walks, four runs, and an RBI in the lopsided victory over Washington. The veteran needed that as he has been off to a slow start in 2025, hitting just .220 with one homer, seven runs, eight RBI, and a stolen base across 59 at-bats. He is starting to show signs of life with a .286 average over his past seven games. That being said, he is off the radar in fantasy outside of the deepest leagues.

New York Mets outfielder Jesse Winker went 3-for-4 with two triples and two RBI during their victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday. Winker would tally his first hit of the contest, with a double in the second inning. Later in the fourth, he would hit his first triple of the contest. In the eighth, Winker would tally his third hit of the contest, with another triple that scored both Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto. After posting a modest .154/.313/.154 line through the first five games of the campaign, Winker was able to break his skid in a big way on Saturday. Last season, the 31-year-old held a .253/.360/.405 slash line with 14 home runs and 14 stolen bases, splitting time with the Nationals and Mets. Fantasy managers should continue to expect Winker to be deployed on the strong side of a platoon at the designated hitter spot. He will likely remain in the starting nine on Sunday to face right-hander Bowden Francis.

New York Mets outfielder Jesse Winker (calf) was forced to exit early during Monday's spring training contest. The left-handed slugger was pulled out of the contest due to a minor calf issue. Mets' manager Carlos Mendoza said that Winker was removed for precautionary reasons. Fantasy managers should consider Winker as day-to-day. The expectation is that Winker will be fine in a few days and this shouldn't impact his status for Opening Day.

According to Jorge Castillo of ESPN, New York Mets outfielders Starling Marte and Jesse Winker are set to platoon at the designated hitter spot to open the season. Castillo noted that Marte could see occasional starts in right field. As a result, Marte will be on the short side of the platoon, given that he is the right-handed bat. Last season, the 36-year-old posted a .269/.327/.388 line with seven home runs and 16 stolen bases. However, when facing left-handed pitchers, Marte was quite effective as he posted a strong .310/.384/.460 line. Winker resigned with the Mets on a one-year contract earlier this offseason. Facing right-handers, Winker held a .258/.366/.422 slash line. As a result, both players will have limited values in fantasy, given that they will share playing time. However, both could be valuable in deeper NL-only formats, especially in daily lineup leagues.

According to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com, New York Mets outfielder Jesse Winker could see time at first base during the 2025 campaign. On a zoom conference, Winker expressed he is "capable" of playing first base when asked. He played first base during a rehab assignment in 2023 and even took ground balls at that position last season. While the Mets have remained in conversation with free agent Pete Alonso, several reports suggest that the Mets have begun to pivot to alternate options as he is unlikely to return to Queens. One of these alternatives was Winker, who the team signed to a one-year $7.5 million contract last week. Winker opened the 2024 campaign with the Nationals but was shipped to the Mets at the deadline. Across 145 contests, the 31-year-old posted a .253/.360/.405 line with 14 home runs and 14 stolen bases. Mark Vientos is another option to cover first base, which would open up the hot corner for Ronny Mauricio, Luisangel Acuna, or ... [More]

Free-agent outfielder Jesse Winker re-signed with the New York Mets on Thursday on a one-year deal worth $7.5 million. With bonuses, Winker has a chance to make a maximum of $9 million. The 31-year-old veteran left-handed hitter began last season with the Washington Nationals and was acquired by the Mets at the trade deadline. He had a solid year overall, slashing a combined .253/.360/.405 with 14 home runs, 58 RBI, a career-high 14 stolen bases and 63 runs scored in 145 games played. He hit .243/.318/.365 with a .683 OPS, three long balls, 13 RBI and 12 runs scored in 44 regular-season games after joining the Mets. Winker was better in 10 playoff games, sporting a 1.168 OPS and a home run. Winker should see consistent at-bats against right-handers in the outfield and at DH, but he's only hit 20 homers once in eight big-league seasons and probably won't steal double-digit bases in 2025.

According to Andy Martino of SNY, free agent outfielder Jesse Winker has been linked to the Mets during free agency. Martino noted that a reunion is "very possible." The 31-year-old opened the season with the Washington Nationals but was shipped to Queens during the stretch run. Across 44 regular season games with the Mets, Winker held a .243/.318/.365 and hit five doubles and three home runs. Overall, Winker hit 23 doubles and 14 home runs across 145 games last season. During the postseason, he posted an impressive .318/.351/.636 line across ten games. He showed a strong eye at the plate with a 12.4% walk rate and 19.0% chase rate. Martino noted that Winker would be a target for the Mets if they were unable to bring back Pete Alonso. If he were to return to Queens, he would likely see time as a designated hitter and occasionally in the outfield.

New York Mets outfielder Jesse Winker notched an RBI triple in the bottom of the fourth inning as part of a multi-hit effort in the Mets' 12-6 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday night. Winker's RBI triple extended the Mets' lead to 9-2 at the time and essentially helped bury the Dodgers' hopes of posting any sort of comeback. Winker improved his OPS to 1.203 in the postseason, the highest mark in the Mets' lineup. The lefty also recorded three runs on the night, scoring every time he was able to reach base. Winker has been a very under-the-radar player for the Mets this postseason and DFS players may want to look to add him in their lineups for a sneaky play. He'll look to continue his hot postseason on Sunday in Los Angeles when the Mets will face the Dodgers in Game 6.