The New York Mets placed outfielder Brandon Nimmo on the injured list, adding to their painful outfield woes.
The New York Mets are in the middle of yet another season that is being derailed by injuries and ownership. This week was already marred by rumors of Mickey Callaway being on the hot seat and weird drama between Todd Frazier and Adam Eaton. However, fans of the team got more bad news Wednesday when the team announced that Brandon Nimmo was going on the injured list.
We have placed Brandon Nimmo (stiff neck) on the 10-day IL retroactive to May 21, purchased the contract of Rajai Davis and designated Paul Sewald for assignment. #Mets pic.twitter.com/hWtS8so6r5
— New York Mets (@Mets) May 22, 2019
Nimmo, who endeared himself to fans last year with his on-base skills and happy demeanor, will miss time with a stiff neck. He joins Michael Conforto and Yoenis Cespedes on the injured list, and the team no longer has Keon Broxton either.
Nimmo has struggled to repeat his success, with a slash of .200/.344/.323 after putting up .263/.404/.483 in 2018. He also has three home runs after slugging 17 last season. Assuming that his stiff neck isn’t anything more serious, the week and a half off could be good to help him clear his head. He has been uncharacteristically impatient at the plate this season, chasing pitches he usually doesn’t swing at.
Rajai Davis has appeared in 1,419 games over 13 MLB seasons. He has slashed .262/.311/.379 across his career with 415 stolen bases, including a league-leading 43 in 2016. The 38-year-old stole 21 bases in 2018, so he can still help on the base paths despite his advanced age.
He appeared in 101 games for the Cleveland Indians last season, slashing .224/.278/.281 with eight extra-base hits. Davis figures to be a bench piece who should appear as a defensive replacement late in games when the Mets hold a lead.
Relief pitcher Paul Sewald was designated for assignment to create space on the 40-man roster for Davis. The 28-year-old has failed to lock down a full-time role in the bullpen over the past three seasons, despite being given ample opportunities. He has a 5.18 ERA across 107 games (128.2 innings).
The team will hope to weather the storm without Nimmo in a season that is teetering on the edge.
