New York Mets outfielder Luis Robert Jr. could be facing an extended stint on the injured list with a lumbar spine disc herniation.
The Mets placed Robert on the 10-day injured list on Thursday after an MRI exam revealed the extent of the issue that crept up Sunday. He missed the last three games and officially was moved to the injured list prior to Thursday’s game against the Washington Nationals.
Infielder Eric Wagaman was recalled from Triple-A Syracuse to replace him on the active roster.
Robert, 28, is hitting .224 with a .656 OPS after a hot start to his first season in New York. The Mets acquired Robert from the Chicago White Sox in an offseason trade.
Five of his 19 hits and five of his eight RBIs this season came in the opening series against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The move is retroactive to April 27, meaning Robert could be activated as soon as May 6 if his injury responds quickly.
Injuries have hit the Mets hard in the first month-plus of the regular season. They entered Thursday with an MLB-worst 10-20 record and were 3-16 in the past 19 games.
Juan Soto (calf) returned from the IL on April 22 after missing 15 games, but Francisco Lindor (hamstring) was hurt in the same game on the bases and isn’t expected to be evaluated for at least two more weeks. Starting pitcher Kodai Senga landed on the IL on Tuesday with back inflammation and two other position players — Jorge Polanco and Jared Young — are also out with injuries.
