Inside The Mets

Mets Lose Brandon Nimmo, Mark Canha To COVID IL Prior To Home Opener

The Mets lost Brandon Nimmo and Mark Canha to the Covid IL prior to their home opener at Citi Field on Friday.

Pat Ragazzo

Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports
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NEW YORK -- Friday was supposed to be a special day at Citi Field, where the Mets unveiled the Tom Seaver statue outside of the ballpark prior to their home opener with the Arizona Diamondbacks. But it wasn't all sunshines and rainbows this morning in Queens.

The Mets lost 2/3rds of their starting outfield, placing centerfielder Brandon Nimmo and left fielder Mark Canha on the COVID-19 IL. Nimmo and Canha tested positive for COVID-19, but are both asymptomatic, per The New York Post.

According to MLB rules, there is no minimum stay for vaccinated players on the COVID-19 IL. Unvaccinated players must miss a minimum of 10 days if they test positive. While Nimmo's vaccination status is unknown, Canha's wife, Marci, shared via Twitter that her husband is vaccinated and boosted. 

The Mets have activated utility man Matt Reynolds and outfielder Nick Plummer from the taxi squad to take Nimmo's and Canha's roster spots. This duo will serve as bench players in the interim. 

In addition to losing Nimmo and Canha, one member of the Mets' coaching staff has tested positive for COVID-19, according to manager Buck Showalter. Bench coach Glenn Sherlock is unavailable today and will be replaced by Danny Barnes, per The Post. 

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Pat Ragazzo
PAT RAGAZZO

Pat Ragazzo is the reporter, publisher, site manager and executive editor for Sports Illustrated's Mets and Yankees On SI websites. Pat was selected as The Top Reporter & Publisher of the Year 2024 by the International Association of Top Professionals (IAOTP) for outstanding leadership, dedication, and commitment to the industry. He has been seen on several major TV Network stations including: NBC4, CBS2, FOX5, PIX11 and NY1; and is frequently heard on ESPN New York FM 880 AM and WFAN Sports Radio 101.9 FM as a guest. Pat also serves as the Mets insider for the "Allow Me 2 Be Frank" podcast hosted by Frank "The Tank" Fleming of Barstool Sports. You can follow him on Twitter/X: @ragazzoreport.

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