Ronny Mauricios homer caps impressive night in final plea as Mets roster crunch looms

Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Mike Puma about the inside buzz on the Mets.Ronny Mauricio hasn’t been focused on the looming roster crunch.

Or that Mark Vientos will return from his strained hamstring soon and Mauricio — after a three-week stretch with the Mets — could be back in the minors.But one night before the Mets might need to make that decision, with Vientos expected back in the lineup as early as Thursday and almost certainly by Friday, Mauricio delivered a final plea for the Mets to keep him in the majors.He blasted his third homer of the season and collected the first three-hit game of his career during the 7-3 win over the Braves at Citi Field, continuing to flash the potential that has made him a top prospect while lifting his average to .224 after it dipped to .171 last week.“Obviously, the results aren’t always gonna favor you,” Mauricio told The Post through an interpreter, “but I think the biggest thing is to focus in on what your plan is — and eventually, hopefully the results will come to fruition.”Earlier this week, president of baseball operations David Stearns acknowledged the Mets are “asking a lot” of Mauricio.

A torn ACL forced him to miss all of 2024, and he only collected limited at-bats in the minors this year.But the potential of Mauricio — his strengths — were evident, Stearns said.

The ability to hit the ball hard.The ability to keep playing multiple positions.Mauricio displayed all of that again Wednesday when he played second base for a second consecutive game after logging three starts at third last week against the Braves.

In the third inning, he redirected a pitch from Didier Fuentes 378 feet over the right field fence before singling as part of the Mets’ five-run fourth and adding another base hit — with an exit velocity of 111.1 mph — in the eighth.Mauricio was “under control” and balanced on the home run swing, manager Carlos...