Mets put Marte on IL with bone bruise in right knee

NEW YORK — Although Starling Marte has no major structural damage in his painful right knee, the Mets are going to be without their starting right fielder until at least late July.

Testing on Marte’s knee revealed a bone bruise, prompting the Mets to place him on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to Sunday. The team called up outfielder Ben Gamel to replace him.

Marte is eligible to return on July 3, but he will not participate in any baseball activities for at least two weeks and will be sidelined for a minimum of four weeks, per manager Carlos Mendoza.

For most of this month, Marte has struggled to remain healthy, initially sitting out a June 5 game against the Nationals due to right knee discomfort. Marte rested twice more in the ensuing weeks before exiting Saturday’s game against the Cubs in the second inning. He underwent medical tests on Monday, which revealed the bone bruise.

This marks the 35-year-old Marte’s eighth trip to the injured list since 2016. He is batting .278/.328/.416 in 66 games this season, with negative defensive metrics.

Gamel, 32, is an eight-year veteran who came to the Mets on a Minor League deal earlier this year. He had been hot at Triple-A Syracuse, going 10-for-26 (.385) with a home run and two doubles in the seven games prior to his callup.