New York Mets second baseman Jeff McNeil, sidelined since early September with what was believed to be a season-ending broken wrist, will partake in the Arizona Fall League this weekend, according to Newsday’s Tim Healey. McNeil’s aim is to prove that he’s healthy enough to rejoin the roster in the event the Mets defeat the Philadelphia Phillies and advance to the National League Championship Series.
McNeil was on hand with the Mets prior to Wednesday’s NLDS Game 4 to take infield and batting practice:
The New York Post reported earlier this week that the Mets were considering a petition to Major League Baseball to allow McNeil to partake in the AFL in response to the impact Hurricane Milton would have on their Florida-based facilities.
McNeil, 32, had hit .238/.308/.384 (97 OPS+) with 12 home runs and five stolen bases in 129 games prior to the injury. His contributions were estimated to be worth 1.6 Wins Above Replacement, per Baseball-Reference’s calculations. During McNeil’s absence, the Mets have turned the keystone over to veteran journeyman Jose Iglesias. Iglesias has more than exceeded expectations, in turn, hitting for a 137 OPS+ in 85 games and providing New York with a rallying cry in the form of his song “OMG.”
There is some precedent for an injured player going to the AFL before making their return from what was previously believed to be a year-ending injury. Back in 2016, then-Chicago Cubs slugger Kyle Schwarber suffered full tears of his ACL and LCL during spring training. Schwarber was able to progress in his rehab quickly enough to play in an AFL game before joining the Cubs’ World Series roster.
Under MLB’s rules, teams must submit their rosters 3 1/2 hours before the first game of each series. Clubs are allowed to tweak their rosters from round to round, but players cannot be removed from the roster unless they suffer an injury. In that case, the removed players are deemed ineligible for the following round. NLCS Game 1 is set for Sunday.
