JUPITER, Fla. — While most of the Mets‘ regulars are either playing in Grapefruit League games or gearing up to start next week, a few notable members of the big league roster will get more work on the backfields before starting spring training games.
Brandon Nimmo is aiming to start playing at some point next week. The outfielder, who has been battling plantar fasciitis since last May, said he’s at 94%, up from 91 a few days before the Mets’ first full-squad workout. There have been no setbacks in camp thus far, and Nimmo is able to run the bases, swing the bat and take fly balls.
Manager Carlos Mendoza said Nimmo is “on track” to start working into games next week.
However, Starling Marte will need more backfield work before getting into the lineup in a Grapefruit Game. While the outfielder/DH has not has any setbacks with the same knee that landed him on the injured list last summer, it appears as though the Mets still have some concerns.
“He’s doing baseball activities, but not so much in games,” Mendoza said Wednesday at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium.
Marte has been taking at-bats and running the bases without setbacks, but the Mets are still slow-playing his progression at the moment to make sure he stays healthy.
“Some good days and not so good,” Mendoza sasid. “Still finding that balance when it’s too much, when we need to pull back. But he hasn’t stopped doing any baseball activity. He’s just more like the running progression. So he’s still going through that.”
Infield prospect Ronny Mauricio is also going through a running progression as well. The Mets plan to start using him in games around the middle of March, but that depends on how his knee holds up in these next few weeks. After more than a year removed from baseball, it’s tough for the Mets to know what they can get from Mauricio this season.
However, he’s young enough that he should be able to bounce back and continue his development. Mauricio will be 23 in April and has already been hitting massive home runs in batting practice this spring, showing that the power he gets from his legs is still there.
“He needs to be healthy,” Mendoza said. “We don’t want to rush him, and we told him that. I think that’s where he starts — with health. So that’s what I want to see on the field. We know the tools, we know he’s talented, but it starts with him being on the field and being available.”
QUICK HITTERS
– Pete Alonso went 1-for-2 with an RBI double and a walk Wednesday against the Miami Marlins. Jeff McNeil went 1-for-3 with a double in the Mets’ 4-1 Grapefruit League loss.
– Luisangel Acuña saw game action at third base for the first time in Wednesday’s game. The infield prospect was only at the hot corner for three innings and saw only one ball his way, making a putout in the seventh inning. The Mets will continue to work him in at third base, as well as at second and shortstop, where he has primarily played as a professional.
– Left-hander Genesis Cabrera showed a new cutter Wednesday, using it to put away two hitters. A 28-year-old reliever who has plenty of big league experience, Cabrera’s cutter looks like a slider but plays like a cutter. Pitching coaches Jeremy Hefner and Desi Druschel have been working with Cabrera this spring to develop a pitch that will complement his fastball. A hard-throwing lefty, Cabrera is in camp on a minor league contract to compete for a spot in the bullpen.