Luis Robert Jr. begins rehab assignment with Syracuse Mets after back injury

Luis Robert Jr. began a rehab assignment at Triple-A Syracuse after a lumbar spine disc herniation slowed him for more than two months and pushed him onto the 60-day injured list. The assignment is his first live step after a lumbar spine disc herniation slowed him for more than two months and pushed him onto the 60-day injured list.

Robert had been sidelined since April 27, when discomfort in the first game of a doubleheader against the Colorado Rockies led to tests that confirmed the injury. Carlos Mendoza said Robert received an injection and was told to rest for seven to 10 days before being reassessed, a timeline that eventually stretched into a lengthy shutdown. Even before the injury, the Mets had cut back his spring-training buildup and built in scheduled days off in an effort to keep him healthy.

The Mets need to see if he can turn on pitches without hesitation, run at full speed, and handle the day-to-day wear that comes with returning from a back issue. Robert was already in a difficult stretch before he went down, batting .224 with two home runs, eight RBI, 10 runs scored and two stolen bases in 2026. He had only five hits in his last 38 at-bats before landing on the injured list.

The Mets were already absorbing other injuries when Robert went out, with Francisco Lindor and Kodai Senga among the regulars missing from the roster. Robert had been part of the club’s January move from the Chicago White Sox, a deal framed around improving the team’s defense up the middle and giving the lineup another impact bat. Instead, he has spent most of the season trying to work back from the injury that interrupted that plan.

Robert had recently progressed to full batting practice in a cage before the rehab assignment. If Syracuse goes cleanly and he avoids a setback, a return around the middle of July after the All-Star break remains a realistic target.