The New York Mets performed X-rays to Jeff McNeil’s knee after he banged it against the left field wall while making a highlight-reel catch. They turned out to be negative, which is of course excellent news, but the Mets and McNeil are not completely out of the woods yet.
The Mets will perform an MRI just to be sure but for now, the injury is being labeled as a bad bruise. McNeil caught a fly ball to the gaps hit by Washington Nationals’ infielder Asdrubal Cabrera in Thursday’s matinee. He immediately crashed into the wall and had to be removed from the game.
“Sources: Jeff McNeil’s knee X-ray is negative, so the hope is it’s just a bad bruise. Will go for MRI to confirm though. McNeil, the heart of the team, made a run-saving catch while diving into the wall in 1st inning,” MLB Network’s Jon Heyman tweeted.
After the collision, McNeil tried to walk on his own power but couldn’t do it, and had to be carted off. Billy Hamilton took his place in the Mets’ outfield for the rest of the game. It is still not clear if McNeil will be forced to miss some time.
The Mets are holding their breath
The MRI will provide more clarity in the situation. For now, the New York Mets will be in wait and see mode. If he is forced to miss time, JD Davis will see more time at third and Dominic Smith’s place in the everyday lineup will be virtually guaranteed.
McNeil is one of the Mets’ most talented hitters, as he owns a career .319/.382/ .502 line with a .375 wOBA and a 139 wRC+. In 212 career games and 882 plate appearances, he has hit 26 long balls, scored 123 runs and driven in 101.
For the season, he was at .293/.358/.362 with a .319 wOBA and a 107 wRC+. He already had to deal with a very minor intercostal strain, as the Mets continue to be the victims of bad luck with injuries. They lost Noah Syndergaard for the year and others such as Jared Hughes, Brad Brach, Michael Wacha, Amed Rosario and Robinson Cano have had to miss some games.