Jorge Polanco’s Achilles issue could land him on injured list

Jorge Polanco was out of the lineup Thursday against Arizona left-hander Eduardo Rodríguez with lingering left Achilles soreness, and manager Carlos Mendoza said the first baseman could end up on the IL.

“It is a possibility that we get to a point where we need to give him a break,’’ Mendoza said before a 7-1 loss at Citi Field. “It’s fluid. We’ll see what we’ve got.”

Right now, they’ve got a major part of their offseason transformation unable to play first base since the second game of the season, when Polanco first began to feel discomfort in the area.

He’s been limited to DH duties since then and even that hasn’t helped resolve the issue.

Mendoza said Polanco felt it again Wednesday, which led to Thursday’s decision.

“We’re saying it’s day to day and there are good days and days when he feels it more,” Mendoza said. “[Wednesday] was one of those days [he felt it].”

And there’s no telling how long Polanco will be dealing with the discomfort.

“It’s hard to tell,’’ the manager said. “We’re watching it closely.”

Jorge Polanco (11) reacts as he walks back to the dugout after he flies out for the final out of the tenth inning at Citi Field, Sunday, March 29, 2026. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST

With Polanco sidelined versus the lefty, Mark Vientos was at first base and Francisco Alvarez was the DH.

The 32-year-old Polanco played 138 games with Seattle last season, but had IL stints due to leg injuries each of the three seasons prior — sidelined by hamstring strains in both legs, as well as left knee inflammation.

The lineup is already without Juan Soto, on the IL with a strained right calf and he hasn’t resumed running yet.

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“We’re being cautious,’’ Soto told The Post of the IL decision following a 7-1 loss to Arizona. “I want to be in the right spot when I come back. We have a plan and we’ll follow it.”

Soto, expected to be out 2-3 weeks after suffering the injury in San Francisco, is doing some baseball activities while he’s out, playing catch and hitting in the cages and said he feels “pretty good.”

Mets second baseman Jorge Polanco (11) reaches on an infield single during the first inning when the New York Mets played the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday, April 7, 2026 at Citi Field. Robert Sabo for NY Post

There’s no timeline, though, for Soto to begin running, which will be the real test for when he might be able to return.

A.J. Minter, expected to be a major piece of the bullpen last year before being lost after a torn lat required season-ending surgery, returned to action Thursday with Low-A St. Lucie. The lefty tossed a scoreless inning to begin his rehab process. He’ll have to be activated by May 9.

“It was good to see him ready to go,’’ Mendoza said. “The fact he was in real competition was a good sign.”

Another veteran reliever, Craig Kimbrel, also tossed a shutout inning for St. Lucie after he had a rough spring.

While David Peterson continues to struggle and Sean Manaea can’t get his velocity back, Christian Scott had an encouraging outing Thursday for Triple-A Syracuse. The right-hander, out since 2024 Tommy John surgery, threw five scoreless innings against Buffalo.

He sat in the mid-90s and allowed just a pair of hits, a walk and whiffed seven.

Tobias Myers entered Thursday having not pitched since Saturday and hadn’t thrown more than 30 pitches since his season debut on March 26. Mendoza said Myers was still built up for “40-45” pitches, but “if we need to use him for one inning in high-leverage, we will.”

The Associated Press reported Thursday that the Mets had the highest Opening Day payroll at $352.2 million.

“There’s always pressure here in New York,’’ Mendoza said. “There are high expectations, regardless of payroll. We’ve got to go and not only get to October, but deep into October.”