The Mets released Choi on Friday, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.
Choi had a June 1 opt-out in his minor-league deal with the Mets, but he'll hit the open market a day early. The 33-year-old slashed .183/.307/.317 across 101 plate appearances at Triple-A Syracuse and will likely look to sign a minor-league deal elsewhere.
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Mets' Ji-Man Choi: Won't opt out of MiLB deal
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Choi informed the Mets on Wednesday that he won't exercise the opt-out clause in his minor-league contract, Will Sammon of The Athletic reports.
Choi caught on with the Mets on a minor-league deal in February that contained an opt-out clause for May 1 if he wasn't promoted to the big-league roster by that time. The deadline has come and gone without Choi getting a call-up, but the 32-year-old is apparently comfortable enough with his outlook in the organization moving forward to stick around at Syracuse. Over 60 plate appearances with the Triple-A club this season, Choi has slashed .191/.333/.340 with a pair of home runs.
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Mets' Ji-Man Choi: Staying with organization
Rotowire
Choi, who was reassigned to minor-league camp Sunday after being informed he wouldn't make the Mets' Opening Day roster, won't exercise the opt-out clause in his contract and will begin the season with Triple-A Syracuse, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.
Even though the newly signed J.D. Martinez isn't expected to be available for their first series of the regular season, the Mets opted not to carry Choi as an option at designated hitter for Opening Day. Though his path to a big-league roster spot will become more blocked once Martinez is ready to make his Mets debut, Choi will stick around in the organization and stay ready at Triple-A in the event an opportunity in New York emerges.
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Mets' Ji-Man Choi: Won't make Opening Day roster
Rotowire
Choi was informed Sunday he didn't make the Mets' Opening Day roster, Abbey Mastracco of the New York Daily News reports.
The 32-year-old signed as a non-roster invitee in mid-February but was unable to carve out a place on the Opening Day roster with a .182/.308/.333 slash line in 14 spring games. Choi had a .624 OPS in 39 contests between the Pirates and Padres last season, and it's unclear if he plans to stick around the Mets organization or test his luck elsewhere.
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Mets' Ji-Man Choi: Signs MiLB deal with Mets
Rotowire
Choi signed a minor-league contract with the Mets on Saturday, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.
Choi slashed .163/.239/.385 with 13 RBI across 117 major-league plate appearances with the Pirates and Padres last season -- his worst numbers at the plate since 2016. Now with New York, Choi's best chance at making the Opening Day roster is as the team's designated hitter, but he will have to earn it with a strong showing in the Grapefruit League.
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Padres' Ji-Man Choi: On bench for finale
Rotowire
Choi is out of the lineup for Sunday's game versus the White Sox.
Choi has a .377 OPS in 37 plate appearances since being acquired by the Padres and will hit the bench for the final game of the season. He's in his final year of arbitration eligibility and will be a free agent this winter.
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Padres' Ji-Man Choi: Sitting Friday
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Choi isn't in the Padres' lineup Friday against the White Sox.
Choi still has yet to record a hit through 14 games with the Padres, and his offensive struggles will keep him out of the lineup Friday. Garrett Cooper will start at first base and bat sixth.
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Padres' Ji-Man Choi: On bench Wednesday
Rotowire
Choi is absent from the lineup Wednesday against the Giants.
Garrett Cooper will start at first base and bat sixth as the Padres roll out a righty-heavy attack versus Giants left-hander Sean Manaea. Choi remains hitless in 33 plate appearances with San Diego and carries a .125/.211/.313 slash line versus lefties this year.
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Padres' Ji-Man Choi: On bench vs. lefty
Rotowire
Choi is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Cardinals.
Choi is hitless in 20 at-bats since being acquired by San Diego, and he'll sit Sunday with southpaw Drew Rom on the mound for St. Louis. Garrett Cooper will start at first base and bat sixth.
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Padres' Ji-Man Choi: Sitting versus southpaw
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Choi is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Athletics.
Choi was reinstated from the 10-day injured list Friday, but he'll end up starting just one of the three games in the series since Oakland is using a pair of lefties, including Ken Waldichuk as the bulk pitcher Sunday. Manny Machado will serve as the designated hitter while Eguy Rosario starts at the hot corner.
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Padres' Ji-Man Choi: Activated from IL
Rotowire
The Padres reinstated Choi (ankle) from the 10-day injured list Friday.
Choi initially landed on the injured list Aug. 14 due to a left rib strain, but his stay was extended after he suffered a fractured ankle during a rehab game at Triple-A El Paso. Fortunately for the Padres, Choi was cleared to resume playing relatively quickly, and he will return to San Diego after going 4-for-25 with an RBI and a run scored through seven rehab games. Matt Carpenter (elbow) was placed on the 10-day IL in a corresponding move.
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Padres' Ji-Man Choi: Resumes rehab, should return in '23
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Choi (foot/rib) resumed his rehab assignment at Triple-A El Paso on Friday after a two-day shutdown and has gone 2-for-13 with three walks against four strikeouts while playing in games in four of the past five days.
Choi was placed on the 10-day injured list Aug. 14 with a left rib cage strain and was cleared to resume a rehab assignment Sept. 5, only to suffer what Padres manager Bob Melvin said what was a fractured ankle in his first game with El Paso, per Annie Heilbrunn of The San Diego Union-Tribune. Given the nature of the injury, Choi was presumed to be shut down for the season, but he was cleared to play two days later for El Paso, and his fractured ankle has since been reclassified as a right Lisfranc foot injury, according to MLB.com. Choi has made three starts at designated hitter and one at first base since resuming his rehab assignment, and once activated from the IL, he'll likely share work at both spots with Garrett Cooper while the Padres are without Jake Cronenworth (wrist) for the foreseeable future.
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Padres' Ji-Man Choi: Fractures ankle in Triple-A
Rotowire
Choi (ribs) fractured his ankle while playing in a rehab game with Triple-A El Paso on Tuesday, Annie Heilbrunn of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
Choi was playing in his first rehab game with El Paso while working his way back from a rib injury he suffered in mid-August. Now that he's dealing with a fractured ankle with less than a month left in the season, Choi will likely be held out of action until 2024. He'll finish 2023 with a .179/.239/.440 slash line across 92 plate appearances between the Pirates and Padres.
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Padres' Ji-Man Choi: Begins rehab assignment
Rotowire
Choi (ribs) is beginning a rehab assignment Tuesday with Triple-A El Paso.
Choi will serve as El Paso's designated hitter and bat third in his rehab debut against the Triple-A affiliate of the Rangers. Out since Aug. 14 due to a left rib strain, Choi could potentially return to the Padres sometime this weekend if all goes well on the farm.
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Padres' Ji-Man Choi: Begins swinging bat
Rotowire
Choi (ribs) has begun a swinging progression, MLB.com reports.
Choi landed on the injured list two weeks ago with a left rib strain but is starting to ramp things back up. He could be back by mid-September if all goes well and would figure to share first base and designated hitter duties with Garrett Cooper once ready.
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Padres' Ji-Man Choi: Ticketed for injured list
Rotowire
Choi will be placed on the 10-day injured list Monday with a left rib strain, Jeff Sanders of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
Choi did not start either Saturday or Sunday, and it is now evident that his absence was related to injury and not performance. Garrett Cooper gets the start at designated hitter in his place.
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Padres' Ji-Man Choi: Out of Sunday's lineup
Rotowire
Choi isn't starting Sunday against the Diamondbacks.
Choi's recent offensive struggles have made the Padres more willing to use other players from their lineup in the DH spot, which is exactly what they will do Sunday. Xander Bogaerts will serve as San Diego's designated hitter, moving Ha-Seong Kim to shortstop, Jake Cronenworth to second and Garrett Cooper in at first base.
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Padres' Ji-Man Choi: Not starting Saturday
Rotowire
Choi isn't in the Padres' lineup Saturday against Arizona.
Choi hasn't collected a hit (0-for-12) since July 29, so he'll miss out on a start Saturday. Fernando Tatis will step in as the Padres' DH, allowing Jose Azocar to start in right field and bat eighth.
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Padres' Ji-Man Choi: Sitting Tuesday
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Choi isn't in the Padres' lineup Tuesday against Seattle, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
Choi has yet to record a hit through four games (11 plate appearances) as a Padre, so he'll get a day off Tuesday to regroup. Jake Cronenworth will start at first base and Garrett Cooper will serve as San Diego's designated hitter while Choi sits.
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Padres' Ji-Man Choi: Starting again at first base
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Choi is starting at first base and batting seventh in Monday's contest versus the Dodgers, Jeff Sanders of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
Manny Machado is getting another designated hitter day as he nurses a tight hamstring, so Ha-Seong Kim slides to third base, Jake Cronenworth plays second base Choi handles first. It's the fourth straight start for Choi, who served as the Padres' DH in the other two contests.
