Amid a tough season for him and the New York Mets, Mark Vientos is expected to be placed on the injured list after fracturing a bone in his right hand on a hit by pitch Thursday.

In a 7-3 home win over the Kansas City Royals, Vientos was struck on the right hand by a 92.2 mph sinker from Michael Wacha in the second inning. Vientos, 26, ran for himself but did not take his place at third base in the third inning.

Mets interim manager Andy Green told reporters after the game that it was unclear if Vientos would need surgery. If Vientos fractured his hamate bone, he’d likely have surgery that would keep him out approximately 4-6 weeks.

“I’m just disappointed for what he’s going through right now,” Green told the media.

This season, Vientos is hitting just .211 with 11 home runs and 35 RBIs in 73 games while seeing his playing time dwindling.

After Vientos exited, Brett Baty slid over from second to third, while A.J. Ewing saw his first action at second base in the majors after starting in center field. Tyrone Taylor replaced Vientos in the lineup and took over in center.

Infielder Ronny Mauricio, who was demoted to Triple-A Syracuse on Tuesday, is the leading candidate to replace Vientos on the active roster, MLB.com reported after the game.

In his fifth season with the Mets, who selected him in the second round of the 2017 draft, Vientos is a .234 career hitter with 65 home runs and 192 RBIs in 386 games. His best season came in 2024, when he hit .266 with 27 home runs and 71 RBIs in 111 games.

–Field Level Media