Jeff McNeil is back on the Mets’ roster for the 2024 NLCS against the Los Angeles Dodgers at the expense of relief pitcher Adam Ottavino, the team revealed just hours before the start of Game 1 on Sunday night.
McNeil had missed the last five weeks with a broken wrist he suffered during a Sept. 6 game against the Cincinnati Reds when he was hit by a Brandon Williamson pitch during the fifth inning of what eventually was a 6-4 10-inning win for the Mets.
“It barely hit me. Didn’t even hurt,” McNeil said after an MRI revealed the extent of the injury. “So definitely shocked.”
The 32-year-old had been trudging through his worst season as a pro. Just two years removed from winning a batting title, he was batting a paltry .238 with 12 home runs, 44 RBI, and a .692 OPS before the injury.
He appeared in two Arizona Fall League Games on Thursday and Friday as a rehab ramp-up toward returning to the big-league roster.
“It felt good seeing velo,” McNeil said of his quick rehab work. “It’s going to be tough, but I’m going to rely on my talent.”
His reintroduction to the roster provides another left-handed option for the Mets to go alongside Jesse Winker out of the designated hitter role. Jose Iglesias’ glove and two-strike hitting outside of Game 4 of the NLDS has carved its place in the starting lineup.
“To see what he’s been doing for the team and the energy he brings… it’s been fun to watch,” McNeil said of Iglesias. “It’s been great, and he’s going to keep it up.”
Luisangel Acuna’s speed and defensive acumen at second base as a late-game substitution when Iglesias moves to third for Mark Vientos was also too invaluable to keep off the roster, as well.
It made the decision to leave Ottavino behind an understandable one. The veteran right-hander has not pitched in any of the Mets’ first seven postseason games after posting a 4.34 ERA during the regular season.
