New York Mets second baseman Jeff McNeil’s left biceps injury does not appear to be serious, manager Carlos Mendoza revealed on Tuesday.
The former batting champion was shut down from hitting on Saturday after feeling discomfort and soreness in that left biceps. Per Mendoza, McNeil is feeling “a lot better,” (h/t Anthony DiComo, MLB.com) and further testing like an MRI is not necessary at this time.
He still will not be swinging a bat over the next few days out of precaution but can continue doing defensive work during spring training, which he has been doing over the last few days.
The belief is that he will return to the Mets’ preseason lineup soon and could see defensive action in a game on Wednesday against the Houston Astros.
A good prognosis provides relief for a Mets team that has already experienced a bit of the injury bug this spring. Both ace starting pitcher Kodai Senga (shoulder) and rotation hopeful Max Kranick (hamstring) will start the 2024 season on the injured list.
McNeil had been dealing with a partially torn UCL in his left elbow last season into the winter — a sore left biceps obviously raising some initial concern that the two issues could be connected.
The 31-year-old will be keen on bouncing back from a difficult 2023 season which saw his offensive production sag dramatically from the year before in which he won Maor League Baseball’s batting crown with a .326 average. In 156 games last year, his average shrunk to .270 — a 56-point decrease — with 10 home runs, 55 RBI, and a .711 OPS.
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