Callaway stays with cold Jay
MICKEY Callaway admitted the obvious before the Mets’ 2-1 loss to the Marlins on Wednesday night at Citi Field: With Yoenis Cespedes nearing a return, the skipper will have some tough decisions to make, ones made tougher by the continued success of young outfielder Brandon Nimmo.
Nimmo went 2-for-3 in Wednesday’s defeat, including an upper-deck, go-ahead solo homer in the fifth that would have been the deciding run if not for Jeurys Familia’s blown save. The 25-year-old, batting leadoff and starting in left field, also delivered a single in the eighth and walked in the third, raising his on-base percentage to .423 on the season. Of all National League players with at least 75 plate appearances this season, only one has a higher OBP than Nimmo — the Braves' Freddie Freeman, at .424.
“His on-base percentage kind of speaks for itself,” Callaway said of Nimmo before the game, when asked about his prowess as a leadoff hitter. “I still think that he does a real good job of putting at-bats together. Even if he doesn’t get a hit, something good can come out of it. When Yoenis gets back, we’re going to have to just re-evaluate where we’re at and who’s healthy at that point in time, because we don’t know exactly what’s going to be happening.”
The outfield situation only gets murkier with Jay Bruce’s ongoing slump. The Mets signed Bruce to a $39 million contract this offseason expecting big power numbers. But through 45 games, Bruce has hit just three homers — the same number as Nimmo, who’s earned more than 60 fewer at bats this year than his outfield mate.
Callaway, nonetheless, seems committed to playing Bruce through his struggles. “We’ll continue to throw him out there, and he’ll get it all squared away,” he said. Something, however, must give. And the Mets can’t afford to lose Nimmo at the top of the order right now.
“I’ve been able to make adjustments and figure some things out,” Nimmo said after the loss. “I’m sure that the pitching will make adjustments to me, as well. That’s this cat and mouse game that we play. But I feel good right now and hope to continue that.”
CES, FRAZIER MAKE TRIP
Cespedes and Todd Frazier, both on the 10-day DL, will accompany the Mets on their upcoming eight-game road trip, which begins tonight in Milwaukee.
Cespedes (hip flexor strain) is technically eligible to return tonight, but according to Callaway, the outfielder still has a number of hurdles to overcome before he’s activated. Callaway said the next step is for Cespedes to go through batting practice outside. He did not do that Wednesday.
Frazier (left hamstring strain) has been sidelined since May 8. Cespedes and Frazier remain “day to day.”
“They’re in the same spot,” Callaway said. “They’re going to come on the road trip with us, just so our guys can continue to get their hands on them.”
The important test for Cespedes will be running, of course. Cespedes landed on the DL four times in the past three seasons for various leg injuries, including both quad and hamstring strains. He tried to play through his hip injury for a week earlier this month before the Mets finally gave in and placed him on the DL.