Mets Luis Robert Jr. returns to face old team but…
CHICAGO — Luis Robert Jr. returned to his roots Friday, but the vibe sure had modified since his departure.
A White Sox team that had turn out to be one thing of a punchline in latest seasons was first in the AL Central, firmly in place to deliver uncommon October baseball to this metropolis’s South Side.
“This is a team that will always have a special place in my heart,” Robert said through an interpreter before going 1-for-3 with a double in the Mets’ 6-4 loss to the White Sox on a walk-off home run at Rate Field. “I keep tabs of the results of the games, and I am really proud to see how they are performing this season.”
Robert, 29, performed his first six major league seasons for the White Sox before the Mets acquired him in a January commerce that included Luisangel Acuña departing Queens.
But Robert’s expertise with the Mets has mirrored his last seasons with the White Sox, in which he spent vital time on the injured record and performed for groups nicely eliminated from the playoff race by August. Robert spent almost three months on the injured record this season with lumbar disc herniation before rejoining the team July 20.
Robert entered play with an underwhelming .652 OPS. And the Mets, despite 11 victories in 15 video games, started the day 58-70 and 10 video games behind in the race for the NL’s ultimate wild-card spot.
“This season has been pretty similar to how other parts of my career have gone, where I have been hurt, where I have been off the field,” Robert said. “But right now I think the most important thing for me is to finish the season strong and go out there and try to be the best version of myself.”
Luis Robert Jr. celebrates with teammates after scoring a run in the fourth inning of the Mets’ 6-4 loss to the White Sox on Aug. 21, 2026 in Chicago. Matt Marton-Imagn Images
The Mets tried to commerce Robert before the Aug. 3 deadline, but had been unsuccessful. It has left Robert as a spare half who is receiving enjoying time as Juan Soto rehabs a calf pressure.
Rookies Carson Benge and A.J. Ewing are items in the team’s future, and Soto stays a fixture with his document $765 million contract. It has left Robert in the place of understanding the Mets are unlikely to exercise their $20 million option on him for next season.
“When you are talking about the young guys, you are talking about guys who have a really bright future, who are really impactful,” Robert said. “And then you have Juan Soto, who is a veteran, who is going to be here for a while. I think from the perspective of the outfield construction, [the future] is really bright.”
MEts merch store
New York Post receives income from affiliate and promoting partnerships for sharing this content and when you make a buy.
The current consists of Robert sometimes in left area — a place he performed Sunday for the first time in his major league profession after showing solely in heart. Robert returned to left area for Friday’s sequence opener.
“I have only played one game there and honestly I can say it was pretty easy,” Robert said. “I didn’t get any balls hit to me, no fly balls, no ground balls. I hope there can be a little more activity or I can be a little more a part of the game out there.”
The White Sox misplaced at least 100 video games in each of Robert’s ultimate three seasons with the membership. Included was a 2024 nightmare in which the White Sox set a fashionable major league document with 121 losses.
But an infusion of younger expertise, along with the signing of Japanese slugger Munetaka Murakami, has helped revive the franchise.
“It doesn’t surprise me at all,” Robert said of the White Sox success. “Before I got traded in the offseason, I saw the moves they were making, the necessary moves to improve the team and that is what they are doing.”
Stay up to date with the latest trending topics! Visit our web site daily for the freshest Sports news and content, fastidiously curated to keep you informed.
