Mets, Marcus Semien 'not worried' amid veteran’s dreadful start to season

Things haven’t quite gone as planned for Marcus Semien to start the season. The veteran is coming off back-to-back down offensive years with the Rangers, but the Mets landed him this offseason with hope that he had a little something left in the tank. He showed signs of life with four extra base-hits over his 15 spring appearances, but hasn’t quite been able to carry that production over to the early part of the regular season.

Semien’s recorded just three hits through the Mets’ first seven games. His first two knocks were a sun-aided, Oneil Cruz botched hustle double and a single off the pitchers’ glove on Opening Day, then he picked up another infield single on Thursday. His latest hit snapped a dreadful 0-for-20 skid at the plate.

Semien’s also drawn just three walks, and he’s struck out eight times over his first 28 plate appearances. Certainly not the start the Mets or the 36-year-old were hoping for, but neither side is growing concerned yet. “It’s taking some time, but definitely no panic in me,” Semien told Mike Puma of the NY Post .

“It's just [six games], I am not worried about him,” Carlos Mendoza added. “I feel like [pitchers] are attacking him, they are getting ahead of him and then they are making him chase, but I feel good with him at the plate. " After all, it hasn’t just been Semien stuck in this early-season funk.