The Mets claimed infielder Zack Short off waivers from the Tigers on June 15, 2026, and the move came with an immediate catch: he is out of options and will need an active roster spot when he reports. To make room, the Mets transferred Jorge Polanco to the 60-day injured list in a corresponding 40-man move.
Short, 31, is not being added for his bat. He has 640 big league plate appearances across six seasons and a.172/.273/.292 career line, including a.167/.304/.222 mark in 46 plate appearances for Detroit this year. What does keep him in the conversation is the glove. He has played hundreds of innings at shortstop, second base and third base, with more than 900 innings at shortstop alone, and he previously spent a short time with the Mets in 2024.
The timing explains why this search is happening now. The Mets have been patching together coverage at shortstop with Francisco Lindor on the injured list for almost two months because of a left calf strain, and Bo Bichette has been covering that spot basically every day. At the same time, Christian Scott went on the 15-day injured list retroactive to June 12 with a right hip impingement, Daniel Duarte was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse, and Tobias Myers and Jonathan Pintaro were recalled to fill those openings.
That is also where the fit gets messy. Public metrics have graded Short's work at shortstop at minus-10 Outs Above Average and minus-1 Defensive Runs Saved, which sits uneasily beside the reputation he carries as a glove-first infielder. The Mets are buying the idea that the defense is useful enough to matter, but they still have to live with the roster math that comes with him.
The roster question is the real story from here. Vidal Bruján has just a.100/.182/.100 line in 12 plate appearances, while Eric Wagaman was selected about three weeks ago and has only received three plate appearances this month. One of them is the most obvious squeeze point when Short reports, because the Mets cannot add him without clearing an active spot first, and his lack of options means the decision has to happen quickly.
