After an injury crisis that started on May and extended through June, the New York Mets are starting to get healthy just in time to defend their first place in the second half of the season. At one point they had 17 players on the injured list, but most of them have returned at this point.
One player who will be returning today is infielder/outfielder Jeff McNeil, who has been activated from the 10-day injured list and will be available off the bench for the first game of Monday’s doubleheader.
The Mets are mulling the possibility he could start the second game. The 29-year-old had been out of action since May 16 with a left hamstring strain that took over a month to fully heal. He has the talent to provide a huge lift to an improving lineup in need of some offensive thump.
Even if McNeil hasn’t had the season we are all used to seeing to this point, his hitting ability can help set the tone near the top of the Mets’ lineup. Before Monday’s action, he has a .242/.336/.374 batting line with three homers over 31 games.
He proved last year that he can get into a rhythm after a slow start, as he hit .311/.383/.454. The Mets, however, really hope to see him return to his 2019 form, in which he had a .318/.384/.531 with 23 home runs, 75 RBI, and 83 runs scored.
Mets send Robert Gsellman to the injured list
As Jeff McNeil gets of the injured list, another player is sent to it to recover from a physical ailment.
Reliever Robert Gsellman will be on the shelf for a while due to a lat problem, SNY’s Andy Martino reported on Monday.
The last time the Mets’ right-hander pitched was on Saturday against the Washington Nationals, conceding three hits in a couple of frames as the opener.