The Mets claimed Zack Short off waivers from the Tigers on June 15, 2026. The move gives them another infielder, but it also forces a roster decision when he reports because he is out of options.
Zack Short and the Mets
Short brings 640 big league plate appearances across six seasons, and his career line sits at.172/.273/.292. He was even lighter with the Tigers this year, hitting.167/.304/.222 in 46 plate appearances.
The 31-year-old also gives the Mets coverage across the infield. He has hundreds of innings at shortstop, second base and third base, plus very brief time in the outfield, and he previously played for the Mets in 2024.
Jorge Polanco on 60-day injured list
The corresponding 40-man move sent Jorge Polanco to the 60-day injured list. His placement was retroactive to April 15th, and he had already been out for 60 days, so the transaction fit the roster timetable.
The Mets also placed Christian Scott on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to June 12, with a right hip impingement. Daniel Duarte went to Triple-A Syracuse, while Tobias Myers and Jonathan Pintaro came back to the major league roster.
Bo Bichette at shortstop
The roster squeeze comes while the Mets have been using Bo Bichette at shortstop with Francisco Lindor on the injured list for almost two months because of a left calf strain. Vidal Bruján has been on the bench for about six weeks and is out of options, and Eric Wagaman has logged only three plate appearances since he was selected about three weeks ago.
Short fits the glove-first profile the Mets appear to be chasing, but the defensive record is not spotless. Publicly available metrics have credited him with minus-10 Outs Above Average and minus-1 Defensive Runs Saved, which leaves the same question hanging over the claim: who comes off the active roster when he reports?
