Mets manager Mickey Callaway did not include shortstop Amed Rosario in the lineup for Sunday afternoon’s game against the Marlins due to a lack of hustle on a fly ball hit in the eighth inning of Saturday’s game, according to Matt Ehalt of Yahoo Sports, quoting what was said on the SNY broadcast. Per Ehalt, Callaway didn’t say that was the reason for Rosario’s absence when speaking to the media, instead saying it was a “scheduled off day.”
The Mets had just taken a 4-2 lead on a two-run home run from Robinson Canó in the eighth inning. After Todd Frazier struck out for the second out of the inning, Rosario came up and hit a fly ball to right-center field. There was a lapse of communication between center fielder J.T. Riddle and right fielder Brian Anderson, so the ball dropped between the two of them. Rosario had not been running hard and had to stay at first base when he should have been on second base. Nevertheless, the Mets went on to win 4-2.
Rosario did enter Sunday’s game as part of a double-switch in the seventh inning. He then led off the eighth with a double and later scored on a Pete Alonso sacrifice fly.
Rosario isn’t the only player to have been punished for a lack of hustle this season. Canó twice didn’t run out batted balls against the Marlins and was benched back in May. Predictably, Canó then hustled on a batted ball shortly thereafter, injuring his quad.
