Nimmo a ball of energy as he nears return
Brandon Nimmo dug into the box against Noah Syndergaard on Wednesday and saw 15-20 pitches from the right-hander. Once the session was over, Nimmo stepped off to the side for a quick refresh, then he stepped back into the box for more batting practice with soft tosses from a pitching coach.
Then Nimmo ran around the bases. Then he jogged to the outfield and shagged fly balls. Then he picked up his bat and ran out to the Mets bullpen, where Carlos Carrasco was throwing his usual between-starts session. Nimmo stepped in against Carrasco in the bullpen, too. Anything to see more pitches.
Nimmo on Wednesday looked active, energetic, and most importantly, healthy as ever. It took him just over a week to get over his hamstring strain, his second injury of the year that forced an IL stint. His first, a pesky middle finger injury, caused him to miss two months. Nimmo was thrilled his hamstring strain, a nuisance of an injury that typically takes 4-6 weeks to heal, significantly improved during his minimum 10 days on the IL. His rapid recovery exceeded the expectations of the physical trainers.
“We’ve passed the final test,” he said. “I am really happy. When things go to plan, it always seems like a surprise this year.”
Nimmo expects to return to the lineup on Friday, when the Mets open another crucial three-game series against the Phillies to wrap up their penultimate homestand.
NOAH FACES NIMMO
When Syndergaard walked into the Mets clubhouse and saw Nimmo sitting at his locker, the competitive blonde-haired pitcher didn’t waste any time razzing his teammate.
Nimmo recounted their meeting: “He came in the clubhouse, saw me and said, ‘You’re the enemy today.’ I said, ‘Good luck with that.’ ”
Wednesday was Syndergaard’s first time facing a batter since his first rehab start with High-A Brooklyn in August. He was scheduled to make another rehab start five days later, but was shut down after he tested positive for COVID-19. After 10 days of isolation and a few bullpen sessions, Syndergaard returned to the stadium mound to face Nimmo.
Syndergaard’s fastball velocity was a tick below the mid-90s. He wasn’t throwing at full tilt on Wednesday, and Nimmo noted that his intensity and adrenaline is not the same in a live batting practice session as it would be under the lights with fans in the stands.
Luis Rojas said Syndergaard will need at least one more live batting practice session before the team determines whether he is ready to join the roster.
BAEZ STAYING IN NEW YORK?
Javy Baez has made himself comfortable in New York following 33 games with the Mets. He arrived in Queens via Chicago at the July 30 trade deadline, alongside right-hander Trevor Williams, in exchange for the Mets’ 2020 first-round pick, outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong.
Baez becomes a free agent after the 2021 season, and he’s put on performances for the Mets that would reasonably convince the front office he could play for the club long-term. His nine home runs in 33 games are more than Jeff McNeil (six) and J.D. Davis (five) have totaled in 107 and 68 games, respectively, this season.