Tough decisions are ahead for the Mets with Opening Day inching closer
With Jeff McNeil's injury, the Mets are faced with another roster hurdle
What’s up with the Mets? 🌴
The Mets lost 3-2 to the Red Sox in Grapefruit League action (box)
LHP David Peterson gave up two runs, one of which was earned, in 3.2 innings
RHP Edwin Díaz struck out one in his scoreless inning of work
RHP Huascar Brazobán pitched 1.2 scoreless innings and struck out four
OF Brandon Nimmo returned to the lineup and went 1-for-3 with a strikeout
The City Council voted to approve Steve Cohen’s plan to bring a casino to Queens (Queens Eagle)
Injury Updates 🏥
RHP Dedniel Núñez (strained flexor tendon) threw a two-inning live BP session and is scheduled to make his Grapefruit League debut next week
2B Jeff McNeil (strained right oblique) will be shut down 7-10 days and is expected to be out 3-4 weeks
LHP Sean Manaea (right oblique strain) received a clean MRI and played catch earlier in the week
Stories from Port St. Lucie… 📰
David Stearns may not want any part of Vladimir Guerrero Jr next winter (NY Post)
Mark Vientos aced handling failure. Can he handle success as well? (Athletic)
Today’s Game 🗓️
Match-up: Mets (8-10) vs. Cardinals (8-11)
Where: Clover Park - Port St. Lucie, FL
Starters: RHP Kodai Senga (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. RHP Michael McGreevy (0-0, 1.17 ERA)
When: 6:10 PM EST
Where to Watch: SNY
Jeff McNeil’s injury leads to tough decisions for the team… ✍️
The last thing the team needed was another injury in camp, but they got the unfortunate news on Thursday morning that Jeff McNeil suffered an oblique injury and will be shut down for 7-10 days. He will hopefully return in 3-4 weeks as a best-case scenario, but the Mets will need to find a second baseman for Opening Day.
Fortunately, they have options. Unfortunately, none of them are slam dunks. At least not at the moment.
Brett Baty got the first look at second after the news broke, and things did not go great for him in the field (SNY). Baty is once again having a fabulous spring at the plate, batting .370/.433/.667 with two home runs and five RBIs in 29 at-bats, but he is not a second baseman, and they’re asking him to learn on the fly with next to no time this spring. Even so, if the organization wants to give him another look and see if he has finally figured things out at a major league level, then he could very well be the team’s second baseman when the season begins in Houston.
However, if they do choose to go this route, they will almost certainly be sacrificing defense in the field, and they have to accept there will be a long and potentially frustrating adjustment period for him there, if it can be made at all.
Their other option, of course, is Luisangel Acuña. Acuña is a capable second baseman and found some success in the majors last season there but in limited playing time. He filled in admirably when Francisco Lindor went down with an injury in September, but the results have not been replicated so far this spring. He is only batting .231/.259/.269 in 26 at-bats. He does not have a home run, but he does have two stolen bases.
Baty and Acuña offer the team two different skill sets. Baty has more pop, whereas Acuña has more speed and is a threat on the basepaths and might be the safest of the bets defensively. With the addition of Juan Soto, this team should have enough offense to cover any shortcomings if they want to prioritize defense, but they are already down Francisco Álvarez in the lineup until sometime in May. They lost a legit power threat, and now McNeil is down, eliminating a versatile veteran presence until mid-t0-late April. A lot is being asked of the rest of the lineup, so it would be no surprise if Baty wins the job given how he has played this spring.
They could also consider Donovan Walton, whose prominence has grown significantly in camp since Nick Madrigal went down with a broken shoulder in late February. He’s a 30-year-old journeyman who has a little pop and has had bits of experience over the last six years. He isn’t on the 40-man roster, which might reduce his chances of making the club. But for now, he is still in big league camp, which means he is still in play for the last roster spot at a minimum. Jared Young is on the 40-man roster, but the club already optioned him to Triple-A Syracuse, so that probably suggests where he stands in all of this, unfortunately for him.
Ronny Mauricio is still coming back from injury and will not be ready for Opening Day. He has yet to appear in a Grapefruit League game, and it’s clear his first stop in 2025 will be in the minor leagues, which is the correct call considering he hasn’t played in a game in well over a year. He needs more time, and that’s fine. He could very well emerge as an option for them again mid-year if he’s performing and moving around well in the minors.
And of course, Jose Iglesias is in San Diego, so the Mets need to hope either Baty or Acuña seizes the opportunity that is presented to them. Even if Baty does win the job, there is no guarantee he keeps it. If he struggles, the organization has recently shown they won’t hesitate to send him back down to Triple-A.
The team will have a tough decision to make over the next couple of weeks, but it is up to the players to make the best argument they can why they are the man for the job.
Around the League 🚩
Rays owner Stu Sternberg announced that the team will not be moving forward with its new stadium plans which leaves the team’s future in Tampa in doubt (ESPN)
The Cardinals signed former-Met Phil Maton to a one-year deal (ESPN)
Red Sox RHP Lucas Giolito will start the season on the IL with a hamstring strain (ESPN)
Boston 3B Rafael Devers is now open to being the team’s DH when he initially stated he preferred to remain the team’s third baseman with the arrival of Alex Bregman
The Rays defeated the Red Sox in the first Spring Breakout game of 2025 with six more games in the series scheduled for Friday (MLB.com)
Why do the writers on this site continue to claim that Walton has some “pop?” He has none. Look at his stats. To say otherwise gives too much credence to a wind-aided HR this week. Do your homework.
I want to give Baty the first shot because of the potential of his bat. This is his last chance to show he can hit MLB pitching. He doesn’t look like a 2nd baseman though. Maybe start off platooning him with Acuna and see what happens?