QUEENS, NY — For the third straight game, Jeff McNeil was nowhere to be found on the starting lineup card for Carlos Mendoza’s New York Mets as the NLCS shifted back to Citi Field with the series tied up at one game apiece.
Instead, he initially stayed with Jose Iglesias at second despite the righty being 2-for-his-last-10 entering Game 3 with three strikeouts and an error during the bottom of the sixth inning in Game 2 that nearly led the Mets to squandering a 6-0 lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Even more so, left-handed hitters like McNeil possessed an .890 OPS against Los Angeles’ Game 3 starter, Walker Buehler, this season. Granted, McNeil was 1-for-9 in his career against the Dodgers’ righty and Iglesias is 4-for-10.
“There’s always consideration. I’m looking at everything,” Mendoza said prior to Game 3 on Wednesday when asked why he went with Iglesias over McNeil. “We’ve got 12 guys, 13 guys on the roster that could easily be in the lineup. I’m looking at previous matchups, I’m looking at projections, I’m looking at pitch types, and where we’re at. Jeff is going to play a big role but I just liked Iglesias for [Game 3].”
McNeil has yet to appear in a game since being added to the Mets’ NLCS roster following his recovery from a fractured wrist suffered last month. While he had the worst statistical season of his career, he is still a former batting champion who could provide a jolt to New York’s lineup should things grow stale in a hurry.
“[Mendoza] just told me just to be ready,” McNeil said. “It’s going to change day to day, be ready to come off the bench and take some big at-bats. The Dodgers are right-handed heavy, so I’m sure there’s going to be some at-bats, but he just said to be ready and anything can happen.”
