J.D. Martinez expected to debut Friday for Mets

J.D. Martinez is expected to make his long-awaited New York Mets debut on Friday when the team opens a seven-game homestand against the St. Louis Cardinals.

Signed to a one-year, reported $12 million contract on March 23, Martinez wasn't in spring training with the Mets. He needed time to prepare for the season, then dealt with a back issue.

In a pair of games at Triple-A Syracuse, Martinez was 3-for-8 with three runs driven in.

With the Mets, Martinez is expected to bat behind Pete Alonso at designated hitter.

Manager Carlos Mendoza said earlier this week that barring a setback, Martinez would be in the lineup Friday. He will not be the everyday DH from the start.

"I'll have a conversation with him, but out of the gate, I'm not gonna run this guy and DH him every day," Mendoza said. "He's gonna need some days, you know. I think it's one of those where, like I said, I'll sit down with him and put together a game plan here because it's important. He's too valuable for this team and we gotta take care of him."

Martinez, 36, was an All-Star for the third season in a row last year, the sixth selection of his career and only one with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Martinez hit .271 with a .321 on-base percentage, a .572 slugging percentage, 33 homers and 103 RBIs over 113 games in 2023.

Martinez spent the previous five years in Boston, helping the Red Sox win the 2018 World Series, a year in which he led the majors with 130 RBIs.

Martinez previously played for the Houston Astros (2011-13), Detroit Tigers (2014-17) and the Arizona Diamondbacks (2017). In 1,522 career games, he has a .287/.350/.524 batting line with 315 home runs and 1,002 RBIs.

Without Martinez, the Mets are 13-11 entering play Friday.