PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — In a vacuum, Jeff McNeil’s harm is “a minor hiccup,” because the second baseman put it — an unlucky case of a proper indirect pressure with two weeks to go till Opening Day. It shouldn’t sideline McNeil previous mid-April.
Solely from a wider lens does it turn into extra regarding. McNeil on Thursday turned the newest Met to obtain important spring harm information, becoming a member of beginning pitchers Sean Manaea and Frankie Montas, catcher Francisco Alvarez and backup infielder Nick Madrigal. All 5 of these gamers have been anticipated to be on the 26-man roster, representing about one-fifth of the group that was purported to be in Houston on March 27.
“You hate to see it, however no person’s going to really feel sorry for us,” supervisor Carlos Mendoza stated. “We’ve obtained to maintain going. At the start of camp, we stored speaking about our depth, and right here we’re getting examined manner earlier than we obtained to Opening Day. So it’s a part of it. It’s a part of it. We all know we now have a great crew not solely due to the regulars, however simply the depth. … We nonetheless be ok with it.”
McNeil’s harm is a low-grade pressure, which stunned him provided that he has no concept the way it occurred. Following his final spring look on Monday, McNeil started feeling soreness in his indirect, which didn’t dissipate after a day of relaxation. The Mets ultimately despatched him for the MRI that exposed the pressure.
McNeil received’t take part in baseball actions for a minimum of 7-10 days. Though Mendoza talked about that the second baseman could possibly be shut down longer, McNeil expressed confidence in saying: “I barely have any signs proper now.” Both manner, McNeil is slated to overlook 3-4 weeks in whole, which might take him to early April in a best-case state of affairs.
“Positively just a little irritating,” he stated. “I felt like I used to be swinging the bat rather well. The Spring Coaching swing was feeling good. I used to be excited. However only a minor hiccup proper right here, nothing I can’t get via. So get via this and construct again up and hopefully really feel good once more.”
McNeil, 32, was coming off a down season that noticed him hit .238/.308/.384 however enhance considerably within the second half. He received the 2022 Nationwide League batting title with a .326 common.
In McNeil’s absence, Brett Baty turns into a a lot stronger candidate to make the Opening Day roster, both because the beginning second baseman or a super-utility sort. Seventh-ranked prospect Luisangel Acuña may additionally begin at second, however he has struggled this spring and won’t earn the spot until the Mets are ready to play him on an on a regular basis foundation. Veterans Donovan Walton and Luis De Los Santos are additionally candidates to make the crew.
The Mets will carry two of Baty, Acuña, Walton and De Los Santos.
It’s a major alternative for Baty, who had been favored to make the roster in a bench capability, however now may log important at-bats for so long as McNeil is absent. Whereas Baty has thrived this spring, batting .370 with two residence runs via his first 11 Grapefruit League video games, he’s proven some tough edges defensively at second base. Within the second inning of Thursday’s recreation towards the Crimson Sox, Baty dedicated his second error in simply 20 innings on the place.
Nonetheless, Baty says he feels “good over there” and about his possibilities usually.
“Camp’s not over,” he continued. “However I really feel like I’ve accomplished my greatest … to provide myself the most effective likelihood to make the crew. I feel simply going on the market and competing day-after-day is what I attempt to do, and I’ve proven that. They usually know that already.”
Even after McNeil returns, Baty, Acuña and Ronny Mauricio — the latter of whom is rehabbing from a knee harm — may problem for taking part in time at second base.
“We wish to see what he can do,” Mendoza stated of Baty. “We’re already snug proper now. The studies we obtained final yr when he performed in Triple-A have been good, and what we’ve seen to this point, it’s been good. However once more, we’ve obtained three different guys in there that we really feel snug about too, and we’ll see how that goes.”
