New York Mets Star Jeff McNeil Exits Game With Hamstring Tightness
NEW YORK - The Mets lost one of their star hitters on Monday due to injury.
While racing home to score the Mets' third run of the day on a wild pitch in the bottom of the fourth inning against the Miami Marlins, second baseman Jeff McNeil appeared to pull up lame, before walking back to the dugout with a slight limp.
McNeil did not come back out for the top of the fifth, and was replaced by Luis Guillorme at second base.
As it turns out, McNeil left the game with right hamstring tightness.
The Mets were managing McNeil's legs in late-May, but he had seemingly overcome whatever fatigue or soreness he had been dealing with in recent weeks.
Following a rough 2021 campaign, McNeil has been putting together an All-Star season for the Mets in '22. Not only has the 30-year-old slashed .327/.386/.465 with an .851 OPS and 33 RBIs in 66 games, he is also one of the league's best hitters with runners in scoring position with a batting average well-over .400.
The Mets cannot afford to lose McNeil to an IL stint, given how vital his bat has been in their lineup this year. Although the team later announced McNeil is dealing with right hamstring tightness, the hope is that his early exit was a precautionary move and won't cause him to miss any time.
As manager Buck Showalter said after the game, McNeil believes his hamstring will be a day-to-day thing. He will get an MRI to confirm it's just tightness, and not anything more serious.
Additionally, J.D. Davis was plunked on the pinkie finger in the eighth inning of the Mets' 6-0 win over the Marlins. Davis' initial X-Ray came back negative for a fracture, but he will need to undergo additional testing to make sure he dodged a bullet in this regard.
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