Brandon Nimmo likely will return to Mets by weekend
Brandon Nimmo of the Mets looks on during batting practice before a game against the Padres at Citi Field on June 11. Credit: Jim McIsaac
WASHINGTON — Brandon Nimmo won’t rejoin the Mets until probably this weekend, Luis Rojas said Monday.
The Mets had planned to activate Nimmo on Tuesday when they begin a series in Atlanta. They decided the extra at-bats he would get during a few additional days with Triple-A Syracuse was worth delaying his arrival.
Rojas clarified that Nimmo, who has been out for nearly two months due to an injured left hand, no longer is feeling pain or discomfort there.
"It’s been a while since he played the games," Rojas said. "It’s still a couple more games before he joins us and he’s at that point where he’s going to be ready for us and perform at the level we want him to perform."
Through six rehabilitation games, Nimmo had a .263/.417/.316 slash line, with one extra-base hit (a double), four walks and three strikeouts. Syracuse was off Monday.
His injured-list journey has been winding. An issue that at first he wasn’t sure would require him to go on the IL has ended up costing him more than one-third of the season.
At first, the Mets called it a bone bruise, the result of a check swing. Then Nimmo called it a nerve problem. The ultimate diagnosis after seeing multiple specialists was a ligament issue.
"We see hand injuries as simple things sometimes, and we can ask why it takes them the amount of time that it could take," Rojas said. "It’s been with him and it’s been with J.D. [Davis]. Hand injuries are more complex than you can think, with all the different muscles and bones that you have in there."
Stroman away
The Mets put Marcus Stroman on the bereavement list, formalizing his leave of absence announced Sunday. He is spending time with family following the death of his grandmother last week.
Reliever Sean Reid-Foley was called up from Syracuse to take Stroman’s roster spot.
Subway Series plans
The Mets’ tentative rotation against the Yankees this weekend: Taijuan Walker on Friday, Stroman on Saturday and Jerad Eickhoff or Tylor Megill on Sunday.
Walker (2.38 ERA) getting pushed back two days from Wednesday — when David Peterson (4.95 ERA) starts — will cost him an additional start before the All-Star break.
Rojas said the Mets chose that route because they wanted to give Walker extra rest. He referenced Walker having "dealt with stuff" and the Mets "taking into consideration the health part," but added that Walker isn’t facing any particular physical problem that might prevent him from pitching Friday.
"Walk is doing good," Rojas said. "He’s a hard worker, but we want him fresh all the way throughout the season like we want everyone else fresh."
The rotation against Atlanta, Tuesday through Thursday: Megill, Peterson, Jacob deGrom.
Extra bases
Michael Conforto was out of the lineup because the Mets want to ease him back in, less than a week from his return from a hamstring injury, Rojas said . . . Lefthander Thomas Szapucki is traveling with the Mets on the taxi squad.
