Mets' Star Undergoing Concussion Testing; Could This Be Responsible for His Slump?

One of the Mets' superstars is undergoing testing and may have been playing through a head injury for weeks.

Jun 4, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; New York Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo (9) steals third base against the Washington Nationals during the seventh inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports / Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Mets are looking for answers regarding Brandon Nimmo's slump.

Since May 24, the 31-year-old outfielder has been in a brutal funk; in 72 plate appearances, he has just 13 hits and four extra base hits (without any home runs, his last homer came on May 19), with a .200/.278/.277 slash line, a 63 wRC+, and a strikeout rate of 38.9%.

However, this extended struggle directly correlates with an injury scare on May 24 against the San Francisco Giants, when Nimmo was hit in the head by a pitch from Kyle Harrison. Although Nimmo's initial test came back clean and he hasn't experienced any concussion symptoms, he has acknowledged that his slump aligns with that moment and has been undergoing more evaluations to see if there is any head trauma.

“I’ve undergone tests and we are going to do more," Nimmo said to the New York Post. “But I don’t have any symptoms. I don’t feel fuzzy, I’m not having any trouble sleeping, I don’t have any sensitivity to light. To my knowledge, I’m fine, but it is something that’s on the team’s radar, for sure. So I will continue to undergo whatever they want me to do, and make sure that nothing pops up."

Brandon Nimmo has undergone concussion testing amid prolonged Mets slump https://t.co/fhjy1rd4dW pic.twitter.com/UDQgqNANN6

— New York Post (@nypost) June 14, 2024

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza has been especially persistent in monitoring Nimmo, as he dealt with a very similar situation last season as bench coach of the New York Yankees. On May 28, 2023, first baseman Anthony Rizzo accidentally collided with San Diego Padres star outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr., and would be diagnosed with post-concussion syndrome just over two months later. Rizzo struggled to a similar degree as Nimmo after his head injury, but didn't experience any symptoms for a while, also similarly to Nimmo. If his slump continues, he may consider reaching out to the Yankees' first baseman and asking him about his concussion-fueled funk.

"After Rizzo got hurt, he kept saying he was fine, too," Mendoza said to the New York Post. “And then however many weeks or months later, he came in and said ‘I’m off’ and they said he had a concussion. So I want to make sure we stay on top of it with Nimmo, but he keeps saying he’s fine."

Up until the hit-by-pitch in San Francisco, Nimmo was batting .216/.362/.398 with a 128 wRC+. Surprisingly, he still maintains an above-average 113 wRC+ despite his terrible slide, but he's desperately looking for answers in the meantime.

“It’s definitely something that’s unacceptable and I’m frustrated by it," Nimmo said. "But it’s part of baseball, and the only thing I can control is to just keep grinding every day and do what I can."

The Mets have shown fair improvement lately, as they've won six of their last eight games to remain in the hunt for the last NL Wild Card spot. But Nimmo is one of their most important players, so they need to figure out what's wrong with him and assist his recovery if they want to stay on pace with their National League competitors.