If Starling Marte doesn’t start producing, he could find himself out of the top part of the lineup.

The right fielder was back in the two-spot against the Rockies again on Saturday, just as he has been in all of his starts this season, but Buck Showalter said he’s considered bumping Marte down.

And that was before Marte went 0-for-3 and tried to bunt in his first two plate appearances in a 5-2 loss.

The 34-year-old is in the midst of a miserable start to the season, with a .585 OPS, the worst of any Mets regular.

Showalter has yet to make a move because of the impact it might have on how the rest of the lineup is constructed.

“I’ve looked at it and thought about it, but the other arteries it creates [in the lineup] is a challenge,” Showalter said of sliding Marte down. “It worked out [well] for us last year.”

Showalter also noted that Marte has some company when it comes to slumping, as the Mets’ offense as a whole has not produced lately.

Still, Marte has been especially ineffective lately, entering Saturday’s game with no extra-base hits and a .379 OPS in his previous 16 games.

“Knowing Starling now like I do, I know it’s really bothering him, not doing what he’s capable of doing,’’ Showalter said. “He’s far from the only one.”

Marte is hitting more fly balls and pulling the ball less than he typically has in his career, but most of his other advanced metrics are fairly similar to other parts of his career, which gives the Mets confidence he will return to form at some point — especially since he was solid last year in his first season with the team.

Brett Baty’s emergence with the Mets has meant the rookie is now even starting against left-handed pitchers, which has pushed Eduardo Escobar to the bench.

But if Escobar isn’t going to play third base when the Mets are facing a lefty, the veteran infielder provides no value to the team, so Showalter opted to give Escobar his first start at second base on Saturday since 2021.

The switch didn’t go as smoothly as possible, as Escobar was awkward at the spot and actually seemed to move out of the way of C.J. Cron’s hard grounder that went for a single to center in the third.

But he made up for it with several good plays later in the game — though his offense remains a problem.

He’s hitless in two starts since losing his job to Baty and was pinch-hit for by Luis Guillorme.

Showalter said the Mets were “leaning towards” starting Joey Lucchesi on short rest on Sunday and had alerted the Rockies that was their intention.

Lucchesi was pulled after 46 pitches in his previous outing in Detroit on Wednesday with the idea that he likely would be needed to pitch the series finale in Queens before Monday’s off day and the road trip that starts Tuesday in Cincinnati.

Carlos Carrasco, on the IL with right elbow inflammation, is still battling an illness that Showalter said would push back his return to the rotation.

The right-hander felt good enough to throw on Saturday and was in the Mets’ clubhouse before the game.
Without Carrasco, the Mets don’t have a starter listed for Thursday’s game against the Reds.

Kodai Senga, who pitched six scoreless innings on Friday, would be on five days’ rest, but the Mets want to give him added time off as much as possible between starts.

Mark Canha was called out on a pitch-clock violation in the second.

Francisco Alvarez, who went 1-for-2 with a walk, was back behind the plate Saturday, with the Mets looking for more offense from the position.

Entering Saturday, the team’s catchers combined for an OPS of just .418, as Alvarez and Tomas Nido have struggled badly offensively and Omar Narvaez out with a strained calf. Alvarez reached base twice Saturday.