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The Mets have signed infielder Ruben Tejada to a minor league contract. After spending the first six years of his major league career with the Mets, Tejada’s postseason came to an abrupt end in 2015 when Chase Utley made a dirty slide into second base and broke his leg. The Mets kept Tejada around for spring training the following year, but they released him in mid-March.
Tejada spent limited time in the big leagues with the Cardinals and Giants in 2016 and the Orioles in 2017. Last year, he played exclusively for the Orioles’ Triple-A affiliate, and in 392 plate appearances at that level, he hit just .230/.291/.298. In the limited time he spent in the big leagues in 2016 and 2017, he amassed a total of 202 plate appearances and hit just .207/.275/.268 with a 49 OPS+.
The Mets have racked up middle infielders to stash in Syracuse to start the season, and the infielders in that group should only see significant major league playing time if things go very wrong for the players on the major league roster.