New York Mets midfielder Brandon Nimmo is considered “week in and out” after suffering minor sprains to his knee and ankle in Friday’s spring training game against the Marlins, which slipped into second base. according to what general manager Billy Eppler told reporters on Saturday. It’s unclear if he’ll be able to return to the lineup in time for the Mets’ season-opening contest on March 30 against the same Marlins in Miami.
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Nimmo’s diagnosis came after he underwent an MRI on Saturday so doctors could rule out a serious injury. Manager Buck Showalter told reporters after the game, that Nimmo himself wasn’t serious.
If Nimmo can’t open the season on the active roster, the Mets would likely shove Mark Canha or Starling Marte down the middle. (Canha was their Plan B there in 2022.) The Mets don’t have a true backup center fielder on their 40-player roster, but they do have Tim Locastro in the camp of a minor league pact. In theory, it could be added at the beginning of the year. However, he is left with no options, meaning he would have to clear waivers to return to the minors.
Nimmo, who turns 30 in late March, comes off a 2022 season in which he broke .274/.367/.433 in the lead with 16 homers and seven triples. For his career, he has an OPS+ of 130 in splits from seven major league seasons, all with the Mets. That offseason, Nimmo and the Mets agreed to an eight-year, $162 million contract extension.
Nimmo’s injury comes just days after the Mets lost All-Star closer Edwin Díaz a knee injury sustained during a World Baseball Classic mound celebration. Díaz will likely miss the entire 2023 season. The Mets will also open the season without veteran southpaw Jose Quintana. He is expected to miss the first half after a bone graft in his rib area.