PHILADELPHIA — It ended in a disappointing loss, but Luisangel Acuna made his long-awaited MLB debut for the Mets on Saturday and impressed at the plate.
The 22-year-old had two hits in a 6-4 loss to the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park, where he replaced the injured Francisco Lindor at shortstop.
Acuna was called up from Triple-A Syracuse in part because Lindor was unavailable after injuring his back in Friday’s win.
Acuna wasn’t tested very well defensively, but he hit the ball hard three times, including a single up the middle to open the fourth and to right in the ninth against closer Carlos Estevez.
“He seems very relaxed,” said Lindor, who missed his first game of the year. “Ever since I met him, he’s been like that.”
Before the game, Acuna said he was playing a video game Friday when he got a call from Syracuse manager Dick Scott informing him of the promotion.
Acuna said he called his mother to tell her the news and burst into tears. He soon received a call from his older brother, Ronald Jr., the Braves’ star outfielder, who congratulated him.
“In any way, whether it’s baserunning, hitting, defense, I’ll be there for whatever the team needs,” Acuna said through an interpreter.
The Mets cleared room for Acuna by sending DJ Stewart to Syracuse.
Acuna covers the Mets at shortstop and second base in addition to center field.
He was passed over by the team earlier this month when the roster was expanded, but team officials were discussing a promotion for him even before Lindor suffered a back injury, according to Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns.
And Lindor’s situation pushed Acuna’s decision over the finish line.
Acuna arrived with the Mets last summer in the trade that sent Max Scherzer to Texas. He pitched in 131 games this season for Syracuse, though he stole 40 bases.
His versatility is welcome after Jeff McNeil’s broken wrist will keep him out for the remainder of the regular season.
Once Lindor returns (he’s day-to-day and could play Sunday), Acuna could get an occasional start at second base to give Jose Iglesias a rest.
“He looked fantastic and had some good at-bats,” Lindor said. “I’m encouraged by what I saw today. He has no limits.”
The Mets traded for Eddy Alvarez last week, but the infielder won’t be eligible for the postseason roster as someone who wasn’t in the organization before Sept. 1. Acuna would be eligible for a postseason roster spot, but Stearns downplayed the idea that these final two weeks of the regular season serve as Acuna’s acclimation period for October.
“The teams that are going to make the playoffs are still a long way off,” Stearns said. “We’ll deal with that when we get there.”
The Mets, who opened the day one game ahead of the Braves for the third National League wild card, will play three potentially important games in Atlanta in the final week of the regular season. Acuna said he’s looking forward to playing against his brother’s team, even though Ronald is out of the season after tearing the ACL in his left knee in May.
“It’s going to be really special,” Acuna said. “Even if he doesn’t play, he’ll be on the opposing bench. He already told me he’d be there.”
