Following the game, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza confirmed that McNeil was suffering from what felt like cramping in his left hamstring. Mendoza downplayed the injury and said he was already leaning towards using a pinch-runner in that situation.
“He said it felt like a cramp on his left hamstring,” said Mendoza. “I was going to be aggressive anyway with Azocar there. The trainers took a look at him, I just talked to him; he’s fine. Nothing to worry about.”
McNeil, 33, was just activated on April 25th after missing the first 28 games of the season with an oblique strain he suffered during Spring Training. He’s been off to a slow start this year, slashing .229/.282/.429 with a single home run and five RBI through ten games.
The former MLB batting champion was pulled from Wednesday’s game after it appeared he had injured his hamstring while stretching out a double into a triple; Luisangel Acuña came around to score on the hit, which gave the Mets a 3-0 lead over the Arizona Diamondbacks. McNeil was then lifted for Jose Azocar, who would later walk, steal second base, and score on a Francisco Lindor double in the top of the ninth inning.
McNeil wasn’t the only Met to avoid serious injury against the Diamondbacks: on Tuesday, outfielder Brandon Nimmo appeared to hyperextend his knee while chasing down a ball in left field. Nimmo managed to suit up for Wednesday’s game as the team’s DH. The Mets also lost left-handed relievers Danny Young and A.J. Minter for the rest of the year due to season-ending surgeries, and also placed Jesse Winker on the IL with an oblique injury of his own.
The Mets will now get a much-needed day off on Thursday following a stretch of 14 consecutive days with a game. On Friday, the Mets will welcome the NL Central-leading Chicago Cubs for a three-game set at Citi Field. This series will set off a crucial month of May for the Mets, where they will face the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, and Los Angeles Dodgers in back-to-back-to-back series.
Unless McNeil feels any soreness in his hamstring on Thursday, he should be on track to be available for the game against the Cubs on Friday evening.
