Pete Alonso will be in the All-Star Game, but he won’t be participating in the Home Run Derby.
The first baseman has taken part in the competition four times and won it twice.
This time, though, he said he values getting ready for the second half more.
“I decided not to participate this year,” Alonso remarked after being selected for the NL team on Sunday, following a 6-4 defeat to the Yankees at Citi Field. “I’ve never truly taken the time to enjoy three consecutive off-days. I want to ensure I’m in the best form to help the team succeed in the second half.”
He pointed to the toll it can take as the Mets prepare for the second half of the season.
“It’s not just about the work and the swing,” Alonso explained regarding his choice to skip the event. “It’s the adrenaline. You need to be fully engaged and in game mode.”
Alonso first won the competition during his historic rookie season in 2019 and again in 2021.
He also took part in it in 2022 and ’23.
Alonso added that he could take part in the derby again in the future, depending on the venue.
“This decision doesn’t rule it out forever,” Alonso added. “If the All-Star Game takes place at Citi Field or another park I enjoy, like Fenway [Park] or Wrigley [Field], I would consider it. But for now, I didn’t feel called to participate. I love the event but didn’t feel motivated this year. So, I chose to use the time for recovery.”
Kodai Senga “physically feels fine,” according to manager Carlos Mendoza, following his Saturday rehab start for Triple-A Syracuse.
Mets officials are expected to decide within the next day or two whether the right-hander is ready to rejoin the team for his next start.
Senga has been rehabbing a right hamstring strain since June 12.
Jesse Winker played in a fourth minor league rehab game on Sunday and could potentially join the Mets on Tuesday in Baltimore, according to Mendoza.
The veteran outfielder has been rehabbing an oblique strain since early May.
Mendoza said his frustration with plate umpire John Bacon had been building throughout the game, leading to his ninth-inning ejection for arguing a called third strike on Luis Torrens.
Mendoza’s ejection was his second in eight games.
“Especially in that situation leading off an inning, you are down two and you want to get guys on base,” Mendoza said. “You get calls like that, it’s pretty frustrating.”
