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Luisangel Acu\u00f1a<\/strong>\u00a0has a big opportunity early on this season.<\/p>\n With starting second baseman\u00a0Jeff McNeil<\/strong>\u00a0sidelined for the first couple of weeks with a mild right oblique strain, the\u00a0Mets<\/a>\u00a0will turn to Acu\u00f1a and\u00a0Brett Baty<\/strong>\u00a0to split time in his place until he\u2019s ready to return.<\/p>\n While Baty is expected to see the bulk of the opportunities after his monster showing during spring training, it was Acu\u00f1a who received the start for the\u00a0Mets\u2019 Opening Day matchup\u00a0against Astros left-hander\u00a0Framber Valdez<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Things, however, didn\u2019t 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\u2019ve been a routine inning-ending double play.<\/p>\n Acu\u00f1a had plenty of time to throw out slow-footed catcher\u00a0Yanier Diaz<\/strong>, but instead, his throw sailed way past\u00a0Pete Alonso<\/strong>\u00a0and into the Mets\u2019 dugout, prolonging the inning and bringing home the third run of the game.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was just a bad throw, he had time and just threw it away,\u201d\u00a0Carlos Mendoza<\/strong>\u00a0said.<\/p>\n 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\u00a0Josh Hader<\/strong>\u00a0in the top of the ninth.<\/p>\n With the Mets still trailing by three and two men on with nobody out, Acu\u00f1a 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.<\/p>\n Hayden Senger<\/strong>\u00a0then struck out in what was his first career at-bat and\u00a0Francisco Lindor<\/strong>\u00a0drove in a run with a sacrifice fly, before\u00a0Juan Soto<\/strong>\u00a0chased a 3-2 slider way out of the zone to strand the tying run on base.<\/p>\n 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\u2019s impressive late-inning at-bat.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s what you want to see,\u201d Mendoza said. \u201cEspecially out of a young player — he\u2019s 0-for-3, he already made an error, he\u2019s 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.\u201d<\/p>\n What an at-bat by Luisangel Acu\u00f1a!<\/p>\n He walks on the 12th pitch of the at-bat and Brett Baty loves it \ud83d\udc4f pic.twitter.com\/XwzKHag8j5<\/a><\/p>\n — SNY (@SNYtv) March 27, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n