Martinez will start at designated hitter and bat fifth in Friday's game against the Cardinals.

It will be Martinez's Mets and season debut after he was sent to the minors for a while following a late-March signing. The 36-year-old will be given extra days off in the early going as he gets his feet under him, but Martinez will eventually be the team's everyday DH. He slashed .271/.321/.572 with 33 home runs for the Dodgers last season.

The Mets recalled Martinez from Triple-A Syracuse on Friday.

Martinez had his Mets debut delayed a bit by a minor back issue, but he's ready to go now following five tune-up games in the minors. The 36-year-old went 6-for-19 with two doubles and a 2:2 K:BB in those contests. Manager Carlos Mendoza has said Martinez will not play every day right away, as the club plans to ease him into things as he faces major-league pitching for the first time since last October. Eventually, he will be the team's everyday designated hitter.

Meneses went 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI in Thursday's loss to the Dodgers.

It's the third multi-hit performance in the last five games for Meneses, who's started seven straight contests while batting .360 (9-for-25). The 31-year-old is still looking for his first homer of the season and has only two doubles, but with Lane Thomas (knee) on the shelf and Joey Gallo needed in right field, Meneses' playing time looks secure as he flips between first base and DH. On the season, he's slashing .257/.337/.284 with 10 RBI, but only two runs scored in 20 games.

Martinez (back) won't play every day to begin his tenure with the Mets, Tim Britton of The Athletic reports.

"We're not going to DH him every day," manager Carlos Mendoza said Wednesday. "He's going to need some days [off]. I'll sit down with him to put together a game plan because he's important. He's too valuable for this team, and we've got to take care of him." Martinez is expected to make his debut for the Mets on Friday and hit fifth behind Pete Alonso, but the 36-year-old's workload for the first week or two could be a bit less than what patient fantasy investors were hoping for.

Blackmon is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Padres.

He'll take a seat while the Padres and Rockies wrap up their series with a day game after a night game. With Blackmon on the bench along with Nolan Jones (back), Jake Cave and Hunter Goodman will occupy the corner outfield spots, and catcher Elias Diaz will get a day off behind the plate and will serve as the Rockies' designated hitter.

Machado (personal) is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Rockies.

Since Machado has already spent the maximum three days on the paternity list, he needs to be activated Thursday, but the Padres have yet to officially announce the move. Even if the Padres add Machado back to the 26-man roster Thursday, he'll still be available only as a bench player before likely making his return to the lineup against the Phillies this weekend, when the team returns to San Diego. Jurickson Profar will serve as the Friars' designated hitter Thursday.

Mervis is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Astros.

Following his promotion from Triple-A Iowa on Tuesday, Mervis served as the Cubs' designated hitter in both of the ensuing two games, going 0-for-6 with three strikeouts between those contests. Though he'll retreat to the bench Thursday, the lefty-hitting Mervis will likely see the bulk of the starts at DH against right-handed pitching until the Cubs get Seiya Suzuki (oblique) back from the 10-day injured list.

McCutchen is absent from the lineup for Wednesday's game versus the Brewers.

McCutchen has gone deep in back-to-back contests, but he'll receive a day of rest Wednesday. Bryan Reynolds will get a turn as the Pirates' designated hitter, while Connor Joe and Edward Olivares will occupy the outfield corners.

Martinez (back) is on track to be added to the Mets' 26-man active roster ahead of Friday's game versus the Cardinals, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

Martinez is slated to play what is expected to be a final game with Triple-A Syracuse on Wednesday. As long as he comes out of it with no issues, he should serve as the Mets' designated hitter Friday. Martinez went to the minors to knock off some rust after signing with the Mets late in spring training and had to take a break from game action briefly due to a minor back problem, but he's healthy now and is nearing his 2024 debut with the big club. According to a Mike Puma of the New York Post, manager Carlos Mendoza said Wednesday that he plans to slot Martinez directly behind cleanup batter Pete Alonso as the Mets' No. 5 hitter once he's activated.

Stewart is absent from the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Giants, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

Southpaw Blake Snell is on the hill for the Giants, so the left-handed-hitting Stewart will begin Wednesday's game on the bench. Starling Marte will serve as the Mets' designated hitter in Stewart's stead, and with J.D. Martinez potentially set to report to the big club this weekend, Stewart's time as New York's primary DH may have already come to an end.