Brandon Nimmo isn’t expected back with the Mets when a couple of his harmed colleagues are, however before Thursday’s down against the Cubs, he tested his injured index finger during batting practice for the second continuous day.
The outfielder needed to cut short a minor league recovery task in mid-May because of repeating inconvenience in his finger, yet he’s expecting to start another recovery task soon to see some game activity.
“We’re in the final stages trying to check the last boxes, which are against the [pitching] machine and against high contact. It’s not even so much the swing, as we want to test the contact,” Nimmo said after BP “The machine helps to add a little more weight to the ball, rather than BP, which is a little lighter.
“Obviously, as soon as we’re able to do the machine and me getting jammed a few times with no sharp pain, which we haven’t tested yet, then [a rehab assignment] will probably be as soon as that happens.”
Nimmo, who has been sidelined since May 2, isn’t shocked that the primary spot Mets have withstood such countless wounds over the initial 10 weeks of the customary season.
“I’m very proud of the guys, no doubt,” he said. “At any point, you could hang your head and feel sorry for yourself, like ‘oh, man, too many things are going wrong, we’re not supposed to win this year, whatever.’
“And the guys have never been like that. … Guys that have stepped in have really taken advantage of the opportunity. I think it’s a character show for the team and very good for us in the long run.”
Luis Rojas said Jeff McNeil (hamstring) is relied upon to join the Mets “either Sunday or Monday” and Albert Almora Jr. (shoulder) could return this end of the week in Washington. Both played again Thursday on minor league recovery assignments for Triple-A Syracuse. McNeil went 1-for-4 and Almora went 2-for-5.
Rojas likewise said that Michael Conforto (hamstring) stays behind those two partners, yet “looked really good” in his first game for Syracuse on Wednesday. Conforto went hitless in four trips Thursday night.
“I saw his videos [from Wednesday] and he looked like Michael on Day One,” Rojas said before the game. “He was attacking pitches and this is a progression we want to see.”
Nimmo, Rojas, Dom Smith, Francisco Lindor, and others talked with 82-year-old previous Negro League player Pedro Sierra during batting practice. Sierra was accompanied by Mets director of diversity, equity & inclusion Donovan Mitchell Sr., the father of Utah Jazz star Donovan Mitchell.
