Mets’ Mark Vientos: Absent from Opening Day lineup

Vientos is not in the lineup for Thursday’s opener versus the Pirates.

With right-hander Paul Skenes on the bump for the Pirates, the Mets will go with Jorge Polanco at first base and the left-handed-hitting Brett Baty at designated hitter. The right-handed-hitting Vientos is unlikely to be a strict short-side platoon bat, but he could sit regularly against tougher righties.