The Mets placed Jose Reyes on the disabled list on Thursday with soreness in his left oblique. With the veteran out, infielder Matt Reynolds was summoned from Triple-A Las Vegas and plugged into the starting lineup against the Yankees.
Reynolds played third base, where manager Terry Collins said the infielder could receive an extended look.
"He is in our particular situation right now our best third base guy that we have," Collins said. "So you'll see him tonight at third, and perhaps more of it."
The move fits within the Mets' goal of evaluating their younger players as they look to get back into contention in 2018. Reynolds, 26, is in his fourth stint with the team this season. But he has yet to receive consistent playing time.
In 37 games entering play Thursday night, Reynolds was hitting .204 with a homer and two RBIs. But after returning to the minors on Aug. 1 following his last demotion, Reynolds was hitting .346 with Triple-A Las Vegas.
Reyes, 34, has dealt with oblique issues in the past, including last season. He felt discomfort on his first swing on Tuesday night against Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman. Despite the sensation, Reyes thought he could play through the condition and reported to the park on Wednesday intending to remain in the lineup.
"I felt something but I wasn't thinking it was going to be a big deal," Reyes said. "And then yesterday when I came here, I went outside to take BP. After my second round, I could not go. I felt something wrong there and I had to shut it down."
Reyes was scratched 90 minutes before Wednesday's game along with Wilmer Flores, who also felt soreness in his left ribcage. But the Mets determined that Flores could avoid a DL stint after putting him through tests on Thursday.
The Mets also promoted infielder Gavin Cecchini while demoting reliever Kevin McGowan, who did not appear in a game for the Mets after his promotion on Saturday.
