Starling Marte is a key piece to the puzzle in New York for the Mets. He's dealt with injury concerns as of late, and his playoff status was unclear as a result. New York recently made a final decision on the outfielder ahead of the NL Wild Card Series, per Andy Martino.

Is Starling Marte on Mets' NL Wild Card Series roster?

“Starling Marte will be ON wild card roster, per source,” Martino wrote on Twitter.

This is incredible news on the surface. But Marte's role has yet to be determined. Previous indications hinted that Marte's injured finger was still hurting. As a result, Starling Marte may be limited to pinch-hitting duties.

Key pieces of the rotation in Carlos Carrasco and Taijuan Walker are reportedly not on the roster. Although their absences may seem confusing at first, it makes sense when you consider the NL Wild Card format. The Mets will only need 3 starting pitchers at most against the Padres. With Max Scherzer, Jacob deGrom, and Christ Bassitt set to be those 3 pitchers, Walker and Carrasco were ultimately left off the roster.

Starling Marte's addition to the roster may prove to be necessary, as the Mets want all of the offense they can get with their top pitchers set to take the mound. The last thing Buck Showalter wants to see is a lack of run support for stars like Scherzer and deGrom.

It will be interesting to see what role Starling Marte plays against the Padres in the NL Wild Card Series. There is no question that his inclusion on the roster is a good sign in reference to his health. But New York will need to be careful, as they certainly do not want Marte re-aggravate his injury.