Darin Ruf having rough stretch for New York Mets

The New York Mets acquired Darin Ruf as another solid bat for their lineup and for his defensive versatility.

The beginning of Ruf’s time in New York had gone well. He had six hits in his first six games, hitting three doubles while driving in five runs. And then everything went south.

Darin Ruf continues to struggle with New York Mets

The problems began on August 18. He was 0-3 with a strikeout in that game, the type of game that happens to even the best of players. However, those zeros continued to add up. Now, after striking out with the bases loaded as a pinch hitter on Monday, Ruf has just one hit in his last 38 plate appearances dating back to the 18th, drawing three walks while striking out 11 times.

To be fair, Ruf has not received consistent playing time in that stretch. He started just eight of his 16 games in that time frame, playing a full game just three times. It is difficult to get into any sort of a rhythm in that case as he would need more consistent playing time to get back into a groove.

That is the problem – Ruf has not done anything to warrant that playing time. Daniel Vogelbach is continuing to get on base and perform well. He is not going to supplant Pete Alonso at first, nor are the Mets going to move their corner outfield options to get Ruf into the lineup. His best hope is that Mark Canha or Brandon Nimmo spend more time in center now that Starling Marte is on the Injured List.

Maybe that will give Ruf the boost he needs to perform at the level that the Mets had hoped for. Maybe he can be that power bat off the bench, capable of slotting around the diamond as needed. Otherwise, there is a chance that he could be left off the postseason roster as the Mets look for someone who can make an impact in a postseason series.

Darin Ruf has not hit at all over the past month. Time is running out for him to prove he should be part of the New York Mets’ playoff roster.