Jeff McNeil has been a major contributor to the New York Mets this season, so thankfully he isn’t expected to be sidelined for too long.
The New York Mets can now exhale as the results from Jeff McNeil‘s MRI have come back, and they’ve shown just a mild hamstring strain for the All-Star.
Source: Jeff McNeil's MRI revealed only a mild left hamstring strain. The expectation is he will be able to return the Mets in 10 days.
— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) August 14, 2019
These positive results have to be very encouraging for the Mets. They likely feared McNeil’s injury could have been much more severe. McNeil injured his hamstring running out a groundball to first base in the ninth inning of Tuesday’s game against the Atlanta Braves.
Thankfully, McNeil is only expected to miss the required 10 days on the injured list. Entering Wednesday, the Mets were just two games behind the St. Louis Cardinals for the second Wild Card spot. McNeil’s production at the top of their lineup would have been very tough to replace if he required a lengthy IL stint.
McNeil currently leads the Mets in doubles, AVG, OBP, BABIP, wOBA and wRC+ this season. So, it would be virtually impossible to replace his production if he were to miss more than just 10 days.
The Mets recalled Ruben Tejada in McNeil’s place. The 29-year-old hasn’t played in a game in the majors since his stint with the Baltimore Orioles back in 2017. However, Tejada has been an effective hitter so far this season in the minor-leagues.
Through 73 games at double-A and triple-A, Tejada has hit 21 doubles, six home runs, 39 RBIs and has slashed a line of .337/.412/.486/.898. Tejada’s numbers suggest that he should be able to contribute to the Mets while McNeil is sidelined.
The Mets will be without one of their best players for a little over a week. But, hopefully, the Mets will able to remain in the playoff race while McNeil recovers from his minor hamstring injury.
