J.D. Martinez’s Mets season will begin with minor league at-bats

TAMPA – J.D. Martinez will not begin the season with the Mets and instead will build up with minor league at-bats initially, The Post has learned.

Martinez still had to undergo his physical before his heavily deferred one-year, $12 million contract is complete.

But when it was finalized, the decision was that there was not enough time for him to be ready for Thursday’s season opener against the Brewers at Citi Field.

Thus, Martinez gave advanced consent for a specific minor league stint, likely 10 days, to build the at-bats he missed by being unsigned for almost all of spring training.

Those at-bats can come at expanded spring in Port St. Lucie or with a minor league team. The Triple-A season begins next Friday.