BOSTON — Tommy Pham was ready for a return to the Mets’ starting lineup Sunday, but he got overruled from the manager’s office.
After testing his right groin during a rigorous pregame workout, Pham said he was in position to start against the Red Sox.
But with the Mets scheduled for a day off Monday, manager Buck Showalter told him to take the extra rest and wait until Tuesday, when the Mets head to Yankee Stadium for the Subway Series.
Pham came on for Omar Narvaez as a pinch hitter in the ninth inning of the Mets’ 6-1 loss to the Red Sox on Sunday and grounded out to short.
Pham departed Thursday’s game after tweaking the groin.
“We did a lot of running drills today — almost similar to a football combine training,” Pham said. “Cuts, acceleration, run the bases, mimicked a lot of defensive stuff. I looked good.”
Pham had tightness in the groin two weeks ago and spent the four days during the All-Star break resting before returning to the lineup to start the second half.
“If we weren’t off [Monday] it would have been different,” said Pham.
Pham has been the Mets’ hottest hitter with a .962 OPS since May 28.
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Starling Marte is eligible to return from the injured list on Thursday, and Showalter is encouraged by the reports he’s received on the veteran outfielder.
Marte’s placement on the IL was necessitated by migraine headaches.
“He’s had three good days,” Showalter said, noting that Marte’s headaches were absent over that stretch.
Showalter indicated Marte’s IL stint went beyond the migraines that were bothering him.
Last offseason, Marte underwent core surgery that involved both groins.
“He’s had a lot of challenges this year physically that he hasn’t talked about or used it as an excuse that he has tried to play through,” Showalter said. “That was the thinking here, to get some of the stuff as good as it can be. Starling is a guy that wants to play and wants to be there. He had pretty extensive surgery in the offseason so I am hoping this time off will get him back to know what he’s capable of doing.”
Luis Guillorme is expected to receive further evaluation (including imaging) on his right calf on Monday.
The infielder was placed on the IL on Saturday after leaving the game in discomfort.
He has been walking with crutches the past two days.
