The New York Mets are the hottest team in Major League Baseball, winning eight consecutive games and 17 of their past 22. However, they lost a mainstay of their lineup on Friday night after second baseman Jeff McNeil was hit on the right wrist by a pitch.
Mets manager Carlos Mendoza told reporters before Saturday’s game that McNeil suffered a fracture and will miss the rest of the regular season. His prognosis is to be out four to six weeks, which could sideline him well into the postseason if the Mets were to advance that far.
“Not good, the MRI this morning showed a wrist fracture, he’s likely done for the year,” Mendoza said when asked about McNeil’s status. “The way he’s been playing the past two months all the way to this point, he’s been a huge reason, one of the reasons, why we got to this position.”
Overall, McNeil, 32, is having a down year, batting a career-worst .238 with a .692 OPS. But since the All-Star break, the seven-year veteran is hitting .289 with a .923 OPS, 12 doubles, seven home runs and 20 RBI. Perhaps not coincidentally, the Mets have played much better since the midsummer break, compiling a 28–18 record.
McNeil’s injury occurred during the fifth inning in Friday’s 6-4 win over the Cincinnati Reds. He squared around to bunt and a pitch far inside from reliever Brandon Williamson hit him on the wrist
#Mets Jeff McNeil was hit by a pitch last night. He was wearing a pad and hit by a 74 mph of speed pitch. He even laughed it off at the end.
Ends up with a fractured wrist. Terrible luck. pic.twitter.com/EH4rHlgCau
— Mike Kurland (@Mike_Kurland) September 7, 2024
Surprisingly, McNeil initially stayed in the game and played the field. He even turned a double play to throw out Reds speedster Elly De La Cruz in the sixth inning. But when it was his turn to bat again in the seventh, Harrison Bader pinch-hit for him. McNeil told reporters afterward that he didn’t believe he was hurt until taking some swings in the batting cage.
“I thought nothing of it really, it was a breaking ball: 95 percent sure it hit the guard I was wearing,” McNeil said, via MLB.com. “It didn’t hurt that bad running the bases, and then I started to feel it a little bit warming up the next inning, just throwing the ball to first base.”
Veteran Jose Iglesias is expected to replace McNeil at second base as the Mets pursue a playoff bid. Right now, New York is tied with the Atlanta Braves for the third National League wild-card spot at 77–64. But the Braves hold the tiebreaker.
