Mets acquire outfielder Jesse Winker from Nationals for Double-A pitcher Tyler Stuart

“I can’t say enough great things about this team,” Winker said of the Mets. “I’m excited to be a part of it.”

Winker adds a dangerous left-handed hitter to a Mets offense that has been one of the best in baseball over the past two months. He will likely start in the outfield against righties, adding punch to New York with right fielder Starling Marte on the injured list since late June with a right knee contusion.

“Big move,” New York manager Carlos Mendoza said. “He’s going to get a lot of opportunities, especially against right-handed pitchers.”

To make room for Winker on the roster, outfielder DJ Stewart was sent to Triple-A Syracuse for Sunday’s game against Atlanta.

New York entered the day 55-49, a half-game behind Atlanta for second place in the NL East and the league’s top wild card. The Mets were 31-14 since falling 10 games behind the Braves on June 2. Atlanta snapped New York’s five-game winning streak on Saturday thanks to a dominant pitching performance from rookie Spencer Schwellenbach in a 4-0 victory.

“You want to be in the playoffs and win baseball games,” Winker said.

Winker hit .257 with 11 home runs, 45 RBIs and a .793 OPS in 101 games for Washington. He also had 14 stolen bases, 13 more than his previous career high, and ranked eighth in the National League with a .374 on-base percentage.

He learned of the deal Saturday night during the Nationals’ 14-3 win over the St. Louis Cardinals, though the teams did not announce the deal until Sunday morning.

“It was right after my third at-bat,” Winker said. “When I found out I was coming (to New York), I was super excited.”

Winker, who turns 31 next month, was an All-Star for Cincinnati in 2021, then had a down year with Seattle in 2022 and an injury-plagued year with Milwaukee in 2023.

He revived his career with the Nationals after signing a minor league contract in February that included an invitation to spring training. He is earning a $2 million salary this season and can become a free agent again after the World Series.

Winker was born in Buffalo, NY, and has enjoyed a playful back-and-forth with Mets fans at Citi Field over the years, drawing boos as he waves after big home runs and a sliding catch to end a game. He moved to Orlando, Florida, at age 7 and played baseball with current New York slugger Pete Alonso and against new teammate Fransico Lindor.

“It’s been fun,” Winker said of his relationship with the New York fans. “I think maybe my first couple full seasons I was a little immature and I had a good time. It’s obviously a passionate fan base and I’m excited to play hard for them.”

Winker, who left St. Louis at 7:30 a.m., arrived at the New York clubhouse late in the morning and did not stand in line.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb