The Latest Breaking News from Starling Marte

Buck Showalter can read the National League East standings as well as you can, and he admits to doing so even at this relatively early stage of the season.

NEW YORK — Jeff McNeil stepped to the plate in the bottom of the fourth inning with runners at the corners and his team down by one.

ST. LOUIS — On a scale of injuries, the right wrist contusion suffered Tuesday night by Cardinals right-hander Jordan Hicks, who has had myriad elbow problems since 2019, doesn’t rank as the most dire thing that’s happened to him. For instance, he lives every day as a Type 1 diabetic.

PHOENIX — Forgive the Mets if they will miss playing the Diamondbacks the rest of the year.

NEW YORK — You don’t have to be around professional baseball for 45 years like Buck Showalter to know that Tuesday’s matchup against the Giants was primed to be a good one. But give the Mets manager points for his prognosticating, anyway.

NEW YORK — The Mets might be down a pivotal player or four thanks to injuries and illness, but you certainly wouldn’t be able to tell on Sunday.

NEW YORK — On Friday afternoon the Mets won handily by pounding the ball all over Citi Field.

JUPITER, Fla. – All signs are pointing to Starling Marte being Michael Conforto’s successor in right field.

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — This was early last week and Buck Showalter had called Chris Bassitt into his office to discuss the recently-acquired right-hander’s first start for the Mets scheduled for Thursday night against the Marlins at Clover Park. You’ve heard the expression about the savviest managers managing two…