In an exciting roster move, the New York Mets have announced the promotion of Luisangel Acuña, one of their highly-touted prospects, to the major-league roster. The 22-year-old Acuña, who happens to be the younger brother of Atlanta Braves star Ronald Acuña, brings a versatile skill set to the team as a right-handed batter who can play shortstop, second base, and center field.

Acuña's promotion comes as no surprise, as he was already on the 40-man roster. To create room on the 28-player active roster, the Mets made a corresponding move by optioning outfielder DJ Stewart. Acuña was acquired by the Mets in a major trade-deadline deal with the Texas Rangers in July 2023, where the team traded Max Scherzer. Prior to the season, Acuña was ranked as the No. 2 prospect in the Mets' farm system by The Athletic's Keith Law.

While Acuña showcased his potential during his first taste of Triple-A baseball with the Syracuse team, he struggled to find consistent offensive production. Throughout his 587 plate appearances, he maintained a modest.258/.299/.355 slash line with seven home runs. However, Acuña's exceptional speed shined as he managed to steal an impressive 40 bases, albeit being caught 14 times. Throughout the season, Mets coaches worked closely with Acuña on refining his swing and reducing a leg kick, which showcased positive results during certain stretches. Nevertheless, consistency remained elusive, particularly evident in his last 28 days where Acuña recorded a.537 OPS.

The timing of the promotion aligns with the Mets facing thin infield depth. With the loss of Jeff McNeil, who is out for the season due to a fractured wrist, the team has relied on Jose Iglesias at second base, leaving newcomer Eddy Alvarez as the only backup infielder on the bench. Alvarez, however, won't be eligible for the postseason roster since he joined the Mets organization after September 1. In contrast, Acuña is postseason-eligible, further enhancing his value to the team.

Furthermore, star shortstop Francisco Lindor exited Friday night's game against the Philadelphia Phillies with lower back soreness, adding to the Mets' infield concerns. While his status remains day to day, Lindor's potential absence emphasizes the need for additional infield support. Although Acuña's call-up is not directly linked to Lindor's injury, it appears he was already destined for promotion. Mets manager Carlos Mendoza consistently kept the door open for Acuña's call-up and hinted at utilizing his speed and versatility off the bench once the Syracuse season concluded. As there is only one week left in Syracuse's season, the Mets are poised to capitalize on Acuña's skill set.

With his arrival on the major-league roster, Luisangel Acuña brings excitement and potential solutions to the Mets' infield depth concerns. Fans can eagerly anticipate his contributions offensively and defensively as the team continues their push for a playoff berth.