Carson Benge was out of the Mets' lineup Wednesday against the Twins after starting each of the club's previous six games. The left-handed hitter had been used regularly before sitting against Minnesota's southpaw opener, Connor Prielipp.
Benge went 3-for-20 with a double, a walk, one stolen base and two runs over those six games, a stretch that kept him in the mix even as the results were modest. On Wednesday, the Mets went with Tommy Pham, Luis Robert and Tyrone Taylor in an all-right-handed-hitting outfield.
The move was a straightforward one on the surface: a left-handed bat on the bench against a left-handed pitcher. But it also showed how quickly the Mets can change their look in the outfield when the matchup points them in another direction.
For Benge, the next test is whether he can force his way back into the lineup after a brief pause. For the Mets, the decision suggested they were willing to prioritize the platoon edge over keeping the recent everyday rhythm intact.
