NEW YORK — Mets infielder Brett Baty exited Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Rays.

In the moment, with the Mets trailing 6-0, it looked like Mets manager Carlos Mendoza was trying to spark something, pinch-hitting Ronny Mauricio in Baty’s place.

Negative.

After Sunday’s 9-0 loss to the Rays, Mendoza revealed that Baty had suffered right groin tightness while trying to make a play in the top of the seventh inning.

“He’s day-to-day,” Mendoza said.

Standing before reporters in the Mets’ clubhouse, Baty described how the injury occurred.

“I was going for a foul ball that was flared towards the tarp and I kinda like stepped over with my left, kinda backwards,” Baty said after the game. “And I just felt a little tightness in my right groin.”

Baty has experienced this injury before. Two years ago, he felt groin tightness on his left side while attempting to steal a base.

“It was a similar motion,” Baty explained, “like stepping over and pushing off.”

The young infielder responded well to treatment after that experience. The Mets will take a similar course of action this time around.

“We’re just going to take it day by day,” Baty said.

Baty looked like he had finally figured out big league pitching after being recalled from Triple-A Syracuse on May 5. He batted .326 with a 1.053 OPS, including five home runs and 13 RBIs in the 15 games after that.

Since then, his struggles at the plate have returned. He’s 12-for-63 (.158 batting average) with two home runs in his last 20 games.

Perhaps a short break is just what the infielder needed at this time.