Carlos Mendoza has a perfectly good defensive third baseman in Brett Baty, though Baty wasn’t slotted there Tuesday night against the White Sox. No, instead he opted for a player who’s struggled at that position about as much as anyone in baseball right now.

And for good reason, he said.

Mark Vientos “is going through it right now,” Mendoza said. “It's like when you're going offensively through struggles, you go out there, you continue to work, continue until you get the feeling back.”

Mendoza said it without really saying it, though the eye test (and the statistics) seem to bear it out: It appears Vientos, who’s never been a glove-first third baseman, has some version of the yips. Though he was considered something of a defensive liability at the position when he first came up, this season has been a particular sort of slog – especially after he showed improvement last year, even working with Francisco Lindor during the 2024 offseason.

He has -7 outs above average, according to Baseball Savant, and his -5 run value in 328 attempts going into Tuesday is worst among third basemen with at least 200 innings at the position this year. He’s also slashing .234/.307/.374 with 17 walks and 41 strikeouts in 48 games. He booted a ground ball in the first inning of Sunday’s game against the Dodgers for his seventh error of the year.

With Jesse Winker (oblique) on the injured list, and still shut down from baseball activities, Vientos has periodically been slotted into the DH role, with Baty taking over third-base duties. Baty, though, played second Tuesday, with Jeff McNeil moving to center field for a resting Tyrone Taylor. Lefty Jared Young was the DH, as he has been for all four games since being recalled Saturday.

Young, who came into the day 0-for-5 in three with no walks and a strikeout since being recalled from Triple-A Syracuse, homered in his first at bat Tuesday – a 367-foot blast off White Sox righthander Jonathan Cannon. Young, 29, who previously spent portions of two seasons in the big leagues, hadn’t homered since September 2023 with the Cubs.

Young has an “ability to control the strike zone,” Mendoza said. “We've seen it these past couple of days. He's got the ability to put himself in good hitters counts and that's his calling card. He hit it 107 [mph] dead center the other day…Now, he's kind of getting in a rhythm and doing damage on pitches.”

Baty, meanwhile, has more than earned his playing time since being recalled on May 5 – hitting .280/.308/.600 with five homers, 12 RBIs, a stolen base, two walks and 11 strikeouts in that span, while also playing above average defense at second and third. Tuesday, he hit fifth after Pete Alonso after mostly being slotted in the nine hole.

“There's a lot to like with the way he's swinging the bat,” Mendoza said. “I've been hitting him ninth, yesterday was sixth. I just thought today was a good day to hit him fifth, because I like what I'm seeing, so I'm going to ride him.”

As for Vientos, “this is a guy that, in the offseason, continued to work really, really hard for the first step,” Mendoza said. “And now, he's going through a stretch where it happens, but [you] continue to work, continue to believe in [yourself]. We want to continue to give him chances. Here he is playing third base again. He'll get through it. He'll be fine. He's a good third baseman.”

Wednesday night’s game against the White Sox was rescheduled to 1:10 p.m. due to expected inclement weather. Those with tickets to the game may use that to attend the matinee affair. The Mets are also offering ticket holders vouchers for a ticket to any remaining Monday-Thursday regular season home game at Citi Field, subject to availability. Parking lots will open at 11:40 a.m. and gates open at 12:30 p.m.

L The Mets announced that president of business operations Scott Havens, who’s been in the position since 2023, has stepped down. “Scott has played a key role in driving progress across the Mets organization,” owner Steve Cohen said in a statement. “I’m grateful for the impact he’s had during his time with us. While we ultimately had differing perspectives on long-term strategy, I wish him the very best in his future endeavors.”