NEW YORK (AP) — Mark Vientos is headed for the injured list after suffering a fractured right hand Thursday when he was hit by a pitch in the New York Mets’ 7-3 victory over the Kansas City Royals.
Mets interim manager Andy Green said he didn’t know the extent of Vientos’ injury or if it required surgery.
“It’s going to be an IL placement, and he’s still being evaluated right now,” Green said.
Vientos, making just his second start of the season at third base, was hit by Michael Wacha’s 92 mph fastball in the second inning. The 26-year-old whirled and ran into foul territory behind third base before falling on his knees.
Third base coach Tim Leiper raced over to Vientos, who walked slowly to first base with Green and a trainer, who checked Vientos’ hand.
Vientos initially remained in the game before he was replaced at third base to open the third inning by Brett Baty, who shifted from second base. Rookie A.J. Ewing moved from center field to second base in his first big league appearance at the position; Ewing played 53 games at second in the minors.
Vientos is batting .211 with 11 homers and 35 RBIs in 73 games. His struggles, along with the emergence of Jared Young at first base and Green’s desire to utilize Francisco Alvarez, Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto at designated hitter on days they don’t play the field, have largely relegated Vientos to a platoon player against left-handed pitchers.
The start against Wacha was Vientos’ first against a right-hander since June 29, when he batted seventh and served as DH against Trey Yesavage and the Toronto Blue Jays.
“I’m just disappointed for what he’s going through right now today,” Green said.
This will be the third big league IL stint for Vientos, who was sidelined with a left wrist injury in August 2023 and a strained right hamstring in June 2025.
Tyrone Taylor replaced Ewing in center and hit the game-tying homer in his first at-bat to fuel a five-run fifth.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
New York Mets interim manager Andy Green, center, looks on as Mark Vientos, left, is looked over by medical staff after being hit by a pitch during the second inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals, Thursday, July 9, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
New York Mets' Mark Vientos reacts after being hit with a pitch during the second inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals, Thursday, July 9, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
New York Mets' Mark Vientos reacts after being hit with a pitch during the second inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals, Thursday, July 9, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
RAWALPINDI, Pakistan (AP) — Pakistan's debutants continued to inspire to leave Sri Lanka trailing by 320 runs with seven first-innings wickets in hand after two days of the first cricket test on Tuesday.
Fast bowler Saqib Khan, one of the four newcomers, brought the greenish pitch to life with 2-54 as Sri Lanka reached 114-3 before bad light brought an early closure for the second successive day. Nearly 26 overs were not bowled.
Only 67.2 overs were possible on Day 1 when Pakistan reached 281-5 with play continuing in floodlights for almost 45 minutes on both days at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
Pakistan declared at 434-9 midway into the second session on Tuesday after five half-centuries — three to debutants — and a 48. Saud Shakeel missed out on his first century in over two years on 93.
At stumps, Kamindu Mendis survived a close lbw review and a leading edge fell just short of the fielder to be unbeaten on 40 and former test captain Dhananjaya de Silva had 22.
“There are about 140 chances that have missed the edge and beaten the bat from both sides, so probably says enough that there’s a chance of a result,” Sri Lanka fielding and spin coach Jordan Gregory said.
“So far Kamindu and DDS have put on a good partnership and we would like to see that partnership progress.”
Pakistan’s most experienced seamer Mohammad Abbas and Saqib hit the right lengths with the new ball and both struck in their second overs to have Sri Lanka reeling at 12-2.
Abbas extracted movement from his off stump line and found the outside edge of Pasindu Sooriyabandara, who was promoted to open the innings in his third test and out for a duck.
Saqib struck off his ninth delivery in test cricket when he squared up the experienced Dinesh Chandimal from a perfect length ball that angled across the right hander and edged the shoulder of the bat to the slips cordon.
Sri Lanka slumped further in the shortened final session when Lahiru Udara, who struck seven fours in his aggressive 42, played a loose drive to Saqib and edged to wicketkeeper Ghazi Ghori only two balls after a reprieve from Mohammad Taha, who grassed a one-handed catch at gully.
Mendis and de Silva survived under floodlights and added 49 runs for their unfinished fourth-wicket stand.
Shakeel’s steely 193-ball knock in just over 5 1/2 hours grew Pakistan's total in partnerships of 96 with Ghazi Ghori (48) and 44 with Arafat Minhas (52).
Minhas smashed nine fours and a pulled six off Lahiru Kumara before holing out to long-on when Pakistan was looking for quick runs in the second session.
Shakeel, on 91 at lunch, was out in the first over afterward for 93. Shakeel gloved a leg-side short ball and was caught behind to give Asitha Fernando (3-107) his 100th test wicket.
“You get too disappointed when you don’t complete a milestone (century),” Shakeel said. “The ball came too quick and probably that’s why I got out.
“Spin might come into play if there’s wear and tear on the wicket, but I don’t think reverse swing will come into play because of the lush green outfield.”
The Sri Lanka fast bowlers struggled to hit the right lengths on a consistent basis and the fielding was scrappy. Fernando dropped a skier off Minhas at mid-on before the left-hander completed his maiden test fifty off 70 balls.
Razaullah knocked a six and a four before captain Babar Azam declared when Razaullah was caught at long-off and gave Kumara his only wicket of the innings.
In a dominant first session, Pakistan added 109 to its overnight 281-5 and lost only the wicket of Ghori after Sri Lanka couldn’t penetrate through the middle order even with the second new ball.
Ghori couldn’t get his maiden test half-century and fell when he dabbed left-arm seamer Dilshan Madushanka (3-108) to Sooriyabandara at gully.
Shakeel, who scored his last test hundred against England here in 2024, rotated the strike and Minhas' positive intent ensured Pakistan score at more than four runs an over.
See AP’s full cricket coverage here
Pakistan's Arafat Minhas plays a shot during the second day of the first Test cricket match between Pakistan and Sri Lanka, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)
Pakistan's Saqib Khan bowls during the second day of the first Test cricket match between Pakistan and Sri Lanka, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)
Sri Lanka's Dilshan Madushanka bowls during the second day of the first Test cricket match between Pakistan and Sri Lanka, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)
Sri Lanka's Dilshan Madushanka, second from left, celebrates with teammates after taking the wicket of Pakistan's Ghazi Ghori during the second day of the first Test cricket match between Pakistan and Sri Lanka, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)
Sri Lanka's Pasindu Sooriyabandara attempts to take a catch of Pakistan's Arafat Minhas during the second day of the first Test cricket match between Pakistan and Sri Lanka, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)
Pakistan's Saud Shakeel follows the ball after playing a shot during the second day of the first Test cricket match between Pakistan and Sri Lanka, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)
