Luisangel Acuña has a big opportunity early on this season.

With starting second baseman Jeff McNeil sidelined for the first couple of weeks with a mild right oblique strain, the Mets will turn to Acuña and Brett Baty to split time in his place until he’s ready to return.

While Baty is expected to see the bulk of the opportunities after his monster showing during spring training, it was Acuña who received the start for the Mets’ Opening Day matchup against Astros left-hander Framber Valdez.

Things, however, didn’t quite begin as planned — as the 25-year-old went hitless in each of his first three at-bats and made a costly error in the third when he rushed a throw on what should’ve been a routine inning-ending double play.

Acuña had plenty of time to throw out slow-footed catcher Yanier Diaz, but instead, his throw sailed way past Pete Alonso and into the Mets’ dugout, prolonging the inning and bringing home the third run of the game.

“It was just a bad throw, he had time and just threw it away,” Carlos Mendoza said.

But the youngster did ultimately make up for it as the game went on — recovering with some slick plays in the field and then putting together one of the best at-bats of the afternoon against Astros closer Josh Hader in the top of the ninth.

With the Mets still trailing by three and two men on with nobody out, Acuña fought off pitch after pitch from the All-Star left-hander as he battled his way to a 12-pitch walk, loading the bases and giving the top of the order an opportunity.

Hayden Senger then struck out in what was his first career at-bat and Francisco Lindor drove in a run with a sacrifice fly, before Juan Soto chased a 3-2 slider way out of the zone to strand the tying run on base.

The comeback effort fell short and the Mets were defeated on Opening Day for the second consecutive season, but the skipper was still encouraged by the young slugger’s impressive late-inning at-bat.

“That’s what you want to see,” Mendoza said. “Especially out of a young player — he’s 0-for-3, he already made an error, he’s facing one of the best closers in the game. For him to have an at-bat like that says a lot. He showed us that ability to move on to the next play, the next inning, the next at-bat.”

What an at-bat by Luisangel Acuña!

He walks on the 12th pitch of the at-bat and Brett Baty loves it 👏 pic.twitter.com/XwzKHag8j5

— SNY (@SNYtv) March 27, 2025