The New York Mets continue to take injury hits to their roster, as manager Carlos Mendoza announced that second baseman Jeff McNeil has a low-grade oblique strain and will be shut down for 7-10 days.
Mets lose Jeff McNeil to an oblique strain
Mendoza added that the injury could sideline him for 3-4 weeks, meaning that New York will be without another key piece on Opening Day. The Mets already have Frankie Montas (lat), Sean Manaea (oblique), and Francisco Alvarez (hand) on the shelf to begin the season.
They are hopeful that McNeil’s injury does not keep him out for too long. Obliques can be tricky injuries to navigate, so they will need to take a cautious approach with his return to play.
An infield roster spot is now open for the Mets
This injury now opens up an opportunity for someone else to claim a spot on the roster before Opening Day. Brett Baty and Luisangel Acuña are among the players who are vying for roster spots, and their chances of making it have now increased with an infield spot open.
The Mets have big expectations this season thanks to their major offseason moves. They added Juan Soto by signing him to the richest contract in North American professional sports, and they brought back Pete Alonso along with a flurry of other signings and trades.
New York will have to show that they can handle adversity, as they are already being faced with it from this injury situation. The Mets open the season in exactly two weeks against the Houston Astros, so they have until then to figure out the infield situation.