Going into the 2023 season, the Mets had a plan to try to replicate what they did in the second half of last season at the DH spot. Daniel Vogelbach, being the lefty, would be the long end of the platoon to face right-handed pitchers, and the short side of the platoon would be some combination of Tommy Pham, Mark Canha, and other right-handed Mets regulars who needed a day off from the field.
By Steve Cohen’s own admission, the Mets came into the season a bat short, and for whatever reason, this resulted in a lot of scrutiny placed on Vogelbach before the season even began.