Jeff McNeil Moving Rehab To Triple-A Later This Week
New York Mets second baseman Jeff McNeil (oblique) will remain with Single-A St. Lucie on his minor-league rehab assignment from a strained right oblique until Thursday before heading to Triple-A Syracuse, according to manager Carlos Mendoza. If McNeil doesn't suffer a setback with his oblique over the weekend at Syracuse, he should come off the 10-day injured list at some point next week to make his season debut. In his first two rehab starts with St. Lucie, the 33-year-old former batting champion went 2-for-5 with a walk and a run scored. When he's back in New York with the Mets, McNeil is expected to take over primary duties at second base in Queens. Until then, Brett Baty and Luisangel Acuna have been platooning at the keystone. Since winning a batting title in 2022, McNeil has mostly been an empty batting average contributor in fantasy.
New York Mets second baseman Jeff McNeil (oblique) is starting his minor-league rehab assignment on Friday at Single-A St. Lucie and is batting leadoff. Catcher Francisco Alvarez (hand), who started his rehab assignment on Wednesday with St. Lucie, is batting in the two-hole. Barring setbacks, both McNeil and Alvarez could come off the injured list to make their season debuts at some point next week for the Mets. The 33-year-old McNeil has been out of action since suffering a strained right oblique in spring training, but when healthy, he figures to be New York's primary starter at the keystone. In his absence, the Mets have been using a platoon with Brett Baty and Luisangel Acuna. McNeil, a former batting champion in 2022, hit a career-worst .238 last year and never had much power to begin with, giving him a low floor and ceiling in fantasy if he's unable to rebound.
Jeff McNeil Taking Batting Practice, Close To Rehab Assignment
New York Mets second baseman Jeff McNeil (oblique) is taking batting practice on the field on Tuesday at Citi Field before the game against the Miami Marlins for the first time since his injury, according to MLB.com's Anthony DiComo. The Athletic's Will Sammon is reporting that McNeil is scheduled to begin a minor-league rehab assignment with Single-A St. Lucie later this week. Barring a setback as the former batting champion ramps up, he could be able to make his 2025 debut before the end of April. When he's activated from the 10-day injured list, McNeil is expected to reclaim his role as the team's starting second baseman, which will push both Brett Baty and Luisangel Acuna into bench roles. With McNeil starting the year on the IL, Baty and Acuna have been involved in a platoon in New York at the keystone.
New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said that infielder Jeff McNeil (oblique) has been hitting off a pitching machine in the batting cages. McNeil was forced to open the 2025 regular season on the injured list due to a right-oblique strain that he suffered in spring training. The 32-year-old veteran and former batting champion is working his way back, though, and may be able to make his season debut before the end of April, barring a setback once he begins a minor-league rehab assignment. In the meantime, Brett Baty and Luisangel Acuna will continue their platoon at the keystone, with Baty facing right-handers and Acuna in there against lefties. McNeil has middling power and speed and didn't look anything like a former batting champion the last couple of years. At best, he's a middle-infield option without much upside in deep-mixed leagues when he's healthy.
New York Mets second baseman Jeff McNeil (oblique) suffered a low-grade oblique strain and will not participate in baseball activities for the next 7-to-10 days. In addition, manager Carlos Mendoza noted that McNeil could be sidelined for 3-to-4 weeks. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status but given this report, he will likely miss the start of the season. He may also be placed on the injured list if he were to miss several weeks of action. Last season, McNeil held a .238/.308/.384 line across 129 games. He tallied 26 doubles and swiped five bags. The 32-year-old won the NL batting title in 2022 with a .326 AVG. As a result, fantasy managers should expect Luisangel Acuna to likely operate as the team's starting second baseman at the start of the regular season. Donovan Wilson and Brett Baty could also be in the mix for opportunities.
Jeff McNeil Making His First Start In Game 5 Of NLCS
New York Mets infielder Jeff McNeil will draw into the starting lineup for the first time this postseason in Game 5 of the National League Championship Series on Friday at Citi Field against the Los Angeles Dodgers and right-hander Jack Flaherty. McNeil will start at second base and bat eighth. The 32-year-old former batting champion fractured his right wrist in early September and didn't rejoin the team until the start of the NLCS. He saw three pinch-hitting appearances in the first four games of the series but was unable to record a hit. With McNeil jumping into the starting lineup, Jose Iglesias will retreat to the bench for a must-win game for New York. McNeil has only faced Flaherty three times in his career and has a single and a strikeout. He'll be a low-upside DFS play on Friday's slate.
New York Mets infielder/outfielder Jeff McNeil is not in the team's starting lineup for Game 3 of the National League Championship Series on Wednesday at Citi Field against the Los Angeles Dodgers. McNeil fractured his right wrist in early September and wasn't on the team's roster for the Wild-Card Series or the NL Division Series, but he rejoined the roster for the NLCS against the Dodgers. In the first two games of the series in LA, the 32-year-old former batting champion only saw one pinch-hitting appearance and lined out. He'll start on the bench with the team facing right-hander Walker Buehler, who McNeil has gone 1-for-9 against in his career with a walk and two strikeouts. McNeil didn't look anything like a former batting champion at the plate in 2024 and might just serve as a bench bat for the Mets for the remainder of the postseason.
New York Mets infielder/outfielder Jeff McNeil is absent from the team's starting lineup for Game 2 of the National League Championship Series on Monday at Dodger Stadium against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Mets will stick with Jose Iglesias at second base, and he will hit seventh. Meanwhile, Starling Marte will make another start in right field and will bat fifth against Dodgers right-handed opener Ryan Brasier. McNeil fractured his right wrist in early September and remained on the injured list during the NL Division Series against the Philadelphia Phillies. The 32-year-old former batting champion came off the bench as a pinch-hitter in the 9-0 loss to the Dodgers in Game 1 and lined out. There's a good chance we'll see McNeil come off the bench at some point as a pinch-hitter again in Game 2. McNeil hit a career-low .238 (101-for-424) with 12 homers, 44 RBI and five steals. The Mets may just use him as a bench bat the rest of the way in 2024.
Jeff McNeil Has "Really Good Chance" To Be On NLCS Roster
New York Mets infielder/outfielder Jeff McNeil (wrist) has a "really good chance" to be on the team's roster for the National League Championship Series, which starts on Sunday against either the Los Angeles Dodgers or San Diego Padres, according to manager Carlos Mendoza. McNeil has been out since Sept. 6 due to a fractured right wrist, but he's scheduled to see live at-bats in the Arizona Fall League on Friday and Saturday and expects to be ready to go by Sunday. He will play both second base and right field in the AFL. As long as he doesn't have any setbacks with his wrist, McNeil will likely take the roster spot of infield prospect Luisangel Acuna, who has mostly been a defensive replacement in the postseason. Veteran Jose Iglesias continues to play well, so it remains to be seen how Mendoza will deploy McNeil, but both he and Iglesias could fall into something of a platoon at the keystone.
Jeff McNeil To Play In Arizona Fall League This Weekend
New York Mets infielder/outfielder Jeff McNeil (wrist) will play in Arizona Fall League games on Friday and Saturday. Manager Carlos Mendoza said the team wants to see him play in back-to-back games of nine innings before they think about adding him to the postseason roster for the National League Championship Series if they advance past the division-rival Philadelphia Phillies in the Division Series. The 32-year-old veteran and former batting champion has been out since early September due to a fractured right wrist, but facing live pitching is the last box he needs to check before returning. Getting McNeil back for the NLCS would be a nice boost to the Mets, but he wouldn't be guaranteed any starts after struggling in 2024 and missing extended time to end the regular season. He hit just .238 in 2024 and added 12 homers, 44 RBI and five steals in 424 at-bats.
Jeff McNeil
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Mets
