As they embark on one of their season’s toughest and most significant stretches, the New York Mets have a physical question mark with one of their stalwart regulars.
Brandon Nimmo exited Sunday’s series finale against the Miami Marlins after tweaking his right shoulder in a seventh-inning at-bat. Nimmo was visited by the trainer after swinging through an Andrew Nardi delivery for strike one. He stayed in the game and swung twice more in a strikeout. Jeff McNeil, who had hit for catcher Luis Torrens earlier in the inning, replaced Nimmo in left field.
Nimmo had made a diving catch to keep the game tied in the top of the seventh inning.
Nimmo will get an MRI on that shoulder on Monday, manager Carlos Mendoza told reporters after the game. The outfielder described the pain as a “general achiness” during that at-bat.
Brandon Nimmo has exited the game after appearing to tweak something during his 7th inning at-bat
(via @TheRokuChannel) pic.twitter.com/tXU4dtqnox
— SNY (@SNYtv) August 18, 2024
If Nimmo were to miss any chunk of time, it would come at a terrible moment for him and the Mets. Enmeshed in one of the worst slumps of his career over the past month, Nimmo had slugged a pair of home runs this weekend against Miami, including a go-ahead solo shot in the at-bat before his injury Sunday. Earlier in the season, Nimmo had paired with Francisco Lindor to revive the New York offense and carry the club back into postseason contention.
Nimmo’s slump has drifted his average down to .229 with a .757 OPS.
How long the Mets remain in contention may depend on this next week and a half. Despite facing a pair of last-place teams this past week, New York managed only to split six games. The Mets close out their nine-game homestand with three against the Orioles before traveling back west for an enormous seven-game stretch against the Padres and Diamondbacks — two of the hottest teams in baseball and two of the three squads they’re chasing for the National League wild card.
The Mets did welcome back outfielder Starling Marte from an eight-week absence due to a bone bruise in his right knee. Marte went 1-for-3 on Sunday. If Nimmo were to miss time, the Mets could slide Jesse Winker into more regular playing time in left field with Marte getting most of the action in right and Tyrone Taylor capable of filling in for either.
(Photo of Brandon Nimmo from Aug. 10: Brandon Sloter / Getty Images)
