Mets star second baseman shut down from hitting due to a bicep issue

Opening Day has yet to arrive, and the 2024 campaign is off to a shaky start as the injury bug has already nipped the Mets. 

Projected Opening Day starter and ace Kodai Senga has suffered a shoulder strain which will shut down the 31-year-old for at least three weeks after receiving a PRP injection to help with the injury.

Now, another former all-star has joined Senga in being shut down due to injury.

Jeff McNeil is Dealing With a Bicep Issue

According to Mets manager Carlos Mendoza, Jeff McNeil “felt something” when swinging in the batting cage on Thursday, resulting in McNeil being shut down from hitting for at least a few days.

The Mets are planning to reassess McNeil on Tuesday and have yet to perform an MRI as they do not feel the injury is too severe, according to Tim Healey of Newsday.

The California Native, who rehabbed a partially torn UCL in his left elbow this offseason, is continuing to do fielding drills.

McNeil won the National League batting title in 2022 after recording a stellar .326 batting average.

Although McNeil took a step back in 2023, he still posted respectable numbers. The 31-year-old slashed .270/.333/.378 with 10 home runs and 55 RBIs across 156 games.

Who Will the Mets Replace McNeil With?

The injury to McNeil does not appear too serious at this time, but if the man nicknamed Squirrel needs to miss some time during the regular season, the blue and orange have a pair of options.

The first would be Joey Wendle. The 33-year-old slashed .212/.248/.306 across 112 games last season with two home runs and 16 RBIs while having a career-worst 50 OPS+.

Despite the poor hitting numbers last year, Wendle has shown in the past he can hit at the major league level and play a solid second base.

The second would be Zack Short. Short is coming off an average year with the Detroit Tigers slashing .204/.292/.339 with seven home runs and 33 RBIs while playing all around the infield, including 53 games at second base.

Luisangel Acuña could also be an option, but it is anticipated that he will begin 2024 with Triple-A Syracuse, and the Mets likely would prefer him to get comfortable there first before calling him up to the major leagues.

Hopefully, for the Flushing Faithful, McNeil’s injury is not too serious, and he can resume hitting within the next week.