New York Mets second baseman Jeff McNeil was shut down from all hitting activities on Saturday, manager Carlos Mendoza announced, due to left biceps soreness.
The team does not believe it is serious enough to get further testing like an MRI. He will be reassessed on Tuesday and will continue with defensive conditioning and activities.
The Mets will be keen on a bounceback season from McNeil, whose numbers plummeted after winning MLB’s batting crown with a .326 average (along with an .836 OPS) in 2022. In 156 games last year, his average shrunk to .270 — a 56-point decrease — with 10 home runs, 55 RBI, and a .711 OPS.
Much of that could be attributed to a partially torn UCL in his left elbow, which was rehabbed during the winter.
This has already been a concerning spring for New York, which has been forced to shut down ace Kodai Senga due to a shoulder strain that will hold him out for the early portions of the 2024 campaign.
