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Mets Injury Updates: J.D. Davis, Robert Gsellman

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After storming back into the playoff picture after the trade deadline, the Mets took a tough loss against the lowly Royals last night. Coming off a series loss to the first-place Braves, the Mets remain two games out of playoff position. Their aggressiveness at the trade deadline prompted reactions ranging from surprise to accusations of front office overreach, and while they’ve already done enough to quell the harshest critics, they’ll likely need to up their game one more level to leapfrog a still-muddy field of contenders that includes the Phillies and the runners-up from the Central. As the Mets look to reset and charge again at the Royals in Kansas City, let’s check in on a couple of injury updates…

  • First-time regular J.D. Davis was removed from yesterday’s game with right calf tightness, but it was a preventative move and the Mets do not anticipate Davis to miss any time, tweets Newsday’s Tim Healey. Acquired from the Astros this offseason, Davis has taken advantage of the opportunity in New York, making himself an indispensable part of Mickey Callaway’s everyday players. While starting 31 games at third and 47 in left, Davis has stroked for a line of .311/.374/.514 with 14 home runs and a healthy .203 ISO. His bat does the heavy lifting, as metrics don’t look favorably upon his defensive contributions at either third (-9 DRS, -5.4 UZR/150) or left field (-6 DRS, -14.8 UZR/150).
  • In a full piece, Healey notes that reliever Robert Gsellman has been unavailable out of the pen for the past couple of days because of sore triceps. No word was given as to whether Gsellman would be available today, though the implication is he’ll avoid the injured list. With Seth Lugo and Edwin Diaz both giving up big hits this week, Gsellman’s return to health will give Callaway another option with high-leverage experience. The 26-year-old has 14 saves and 22 holds between this year and last, but his record is hardly spotless. He’s registered 10 blown saves over that same span. For the year, he’s been called upon 52 times for 63 2/3 innings with a 4.66 ERA/4.13 FIP/4.67 xFIP.

Brandon Nimmo Begins Rehab Assignment

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  • Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo finally began a rehab assignment Friday at the Single-A level, Tim Healey of Newsday was among those to report. A bulging disc in Nimmo’s neck has shelved him since May 21, meaning it’s likely he’ll need a solid amount of time to work back, as Healey notes. The Mets have charged into playoff contention in recent weeks despite Nimmo’s absence, though they’ve since lost fellow noteworthy position players Jeff McNeil, Robinson Cano and Dominic Smith to the injured list. Unlike McNeil and Smith, Nimmo was in the throes of a surprisingly difficult season when he went down. After getting on base at a .404 clip and totaling 4.5 fWAR during what looked like a breakout 2018, the 26-year-old Nimmo came out of the gates this season with a .200/.344/.323 line and 0.2 fWAR in 161 PA.
  • Cano and closer Edwin Diaz, the Mets’ two biggest winter acquisitions, have joined Nimmo in enduring trying seasons. The Mets expected the great track records of Cano and Diaz to carry to their organization when they picked up the two during the offseason in a blockbuster trade with the Mariners. Instead, they’ve struggled, and the top best prospects the Mets surrendered – outfielder Jarred Kelenic and righty Justin Dunn – have excelled, as David Schoenfield of ESPN.com observes. Kelenic and Dunn were already well-regarded prospects at the time of the deal, but their stocks have only risen this season. Both players reflected on the swap with Schoenfield, Kelenic saying: “I looked up at a TV and my name was up there as a rumor. I was like, ’Are you kidding me? Is anyone else seeing this?'” Kelenic was in disbelief the Mets were set to move him just a few months after choosing him sixth overall in the draft. As for Dunn, a Long Island native, he understands why general manager Brodie Van Wagenen dealt him. “He had to do what was best for the organization,” Dunn stated, adding that “he had to do the right move for his team, which was to try and win now.”

Mets Select Paul Sewald, Designate Tim Peterson

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As they continue to cycle through right-handed relief arms, the Mets have made a few tweaks to the makeup of their bullpen and roster. The club announced that it has selected the contract of Paul Sewald. To create 40-man space, Tim Peterson was designated for assignment, while an active roster spot was freed by optioning Drew Gagnon.

The 29-year-old Sewald has now regained the 40-man roster spot he lost earlier this season. He hasn’t found much success in the majors, with a 5.18 ERA over 128 2/3 career innings, but has managed a bit better than a strikeout per nine at the game’s highest level. Sewald has matched his career MLB strikeout rate (9.2 K/9) this year at Triple-A, combining that with 2.6 BB/9 to produce a 3.35 ERA over 51 innings.

Peterson, 28, was similarly useful in his 46 2/3 innings with the club’s top affiliate, working to a 3.09 ERA with 8.9 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9. But he has struggled in limited MLB work, allowing 5.91 earned per nine in 35 frames over the past two seasons.

Braves To Sign Hechavarria; Option Camargo, Duvall

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The Braves are slated to make a few notable roster tweaks, according to MLB.com’s Mark Bowman (via Twitter). The club will ink shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria, who was recently released by the Mets, as had been suggested earlier today.

Also joining the active roster will be righty Bryse Wilson. To create roster space, the organization has optioned utilityman Johan Camargo and outfielder Adam Duvall.

The addition of Hechavarria is filled with interesting angles. For one thing, he had until just recently played for the division-rival Mets, who cut him loose when they had the opportunity to add Joe Panik. New York will continue to cover any further guarantees under Hechavarria’s contract, less a pro-rated portion of the league minimum for the time he spends in the majors in Atlanta.

It also marks the end of the Braves’ patience with Camargo, whose season-long struggles with the bat and more recent travails with the glove have finally reached a breaking point. His roster spot was said to be safe, but the club obviously decided upon a change when the opportunity arose to add Hechavarria after he cleared release waivers.

Hechavarria will now pair with Charlie Culberson to line up at shortstop for the foreseeable future. That pairing is keeping the seat warm for the injured Dansby Swanson, whose timetable remains unknown.

There’s also intrigue surrounding Duvall, who has received scant MLB opportunity this year despite a $2,875,000 salary. His presence on the 40-man roster seemed fortuitous when the club needed to replace Nick Markakis and Austin Riley — all the more so when Duvall socked five long balls in his first six games back in the bigs. But the good times didn’t last. Over his past 48 plate appearances, Duvall has just five hits (one for extra bases) with 18 strikeouts.

It’s all but certain that some additional near-term roster maneuvering will take place in Atlanta. Right now, the team is rolling with only three bench pieces, which is likely only temporary. And there’s a distinct imbalance in the outfield, which currently features three left-handed hitters (Ender Inciarte, Matt Joyce, Rafael Ortega) alongside everyday superstar Ronald Acuna. Perhaps Culberson will see some action in left field when an opposing southpaw takes the hill, with Hechavarria handling short, but it’d be optimal to have a committed right-handed-hitting outfield piece.

Latest On Jed Lowrie

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  • Mets GM Brodie Van Wagenen gave reporters (including the New York Post’s Mike Puma) an update on Jed Lowrie on Wednesday, saying that Lowrie has been participating in simulated games, including running, fielding, and hitting drills.  Due to a string of knee, hamstring, and calf injuries, Lowrie hasn’t played at all this season, and despite his recent progress, it still isn’t clear if he’ll be able to make it onto the field.  Van Wagenen is still hopeful Lowrie can play in 2019, though he also didn’t reveal any plans for a minor league rehab assignment.  Since Lowrie would obviously need a good deal of time to ramp up, there isn’t a lot of opportunity left for an overly-lengthy rehab assignment, given that the minor league season comes to a close in early September.

Brandon Nimmo Nearing Rehab Assignment

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  • Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo is within a week or ten days of launching a rehab stint, per Anthony DiComo of MLB.com (via Twitter). Of course, the most recent prior report had indicated Nimmo might already have been prepared for minor-league game action, and that obviously did not come to pass. The 26-year-old is dealing with a bulging disc in his back. While the club has thrived of late, a healthy Nimmo would be a notable roster upgrade. Injuries have been mounting for the Mets, who’ve now lost Robinson Cano and Jeff McNeil to the IL in the past couple weeks. McNeil, who was placed on the IL today due to a mild hamstring strain, may yet beat Nimmo back from the injured list, though.

Mets To Release Adeiny Hechavarria

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Aug. 14: The Mets placed Hechavarria on release waivers today, tweets MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo. He’ll be a free agent once he clears in 48 hours.

Aug. 9: The Mets have designated infielder Adeiny Hechavarria for assignment to make room for newly signed second baseman Joe Panik, the team announced.

The 30-year-old Hechavarria joined the Mets on a minor league contract last offseason. There hasn’t actually been a huge difference between him and Panik this year. Hechavarria has slashed .204/.252/.359 (62 wRC+) with minus-0.2 fWAR in 151 plate appearances. Panik has batted .235/.310/.317 (69 wRC+) with minus-0.2 fWAR in 388 PA. Nevertheless, the Mets will go with Panik, leaving the defensively gifted Hechavarria hoping he catches on with another franchise.

Hechavarria has played second base, shortstop and third base with the Mets this season but is best known for his quality glovework at shortstop. He’s never been much of a threat at the plate, as can be seen with a glance at his .252/.288/.346 career batting line, but he could be a versatile bench addition for a club looking to upgrade its infield defense.

Jeff McNeil Diagnosed With Mild Hamstring Strain

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The Mets seem to have caught a big break, as the club learned today that second baseman/outfielder Jeff McNeil has only a mild hamstring strain, MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo tweets. It is anticipated that McNeil will miss about ten days of action; unsurprisingly, he will go on the IL, per Jon Heyman of MLB Network (via Twitter).

There had been concern that McNeil may have suffered a more significant injury when he departed last night’s contest. Losing him for a lengthy stretch would’ve been devastating to the team’s chances in a tightly contested postseason race.

Placing McNeil on the 10-day injured list will free an active roster spot for Ruben Tejada. As expected, he will be selected to the 40-man and be ready for duty today, Andy Martino of SNY.tv tweets. It’ll be Tejada’s first MLB action in a Mets uniform since he broke his leg in the 2015 NLDS.

Mets Preparing To Call Up Ruben Tejada If Jeff McNeil Requires IL Stint

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The Mets are bringing infielder Ruben Tejada to meet the team on its road trip in Atlanta, according to Jon Heyman of MLB Network (via Twitter). Whether he’ll formally be added to the MLB roster will depend upon the still-pending medical review of Jeff McNeil, who was injured last night.

Regardless of how this situation plays out, it’s interesting to see Tejada tabbed as the McNeil replacement option. For one thing, it’s a homecoming for the former New York stalwart, whose original tenure in Queens ended in memorably blunt fashion. Of more immediate concern, it’s a bit of a curious choice from a roster fit.

Tejada and McNeil are both infielders by trade. But the Mets have utilized McNeil frequently in a corner outfield role of late, and that is the area of the roster that seems most in need of supplementation if he requires an IL stint.

As things stand, the Mets can utilize the recently-acquired Joe Panik at second while deploying Luis Guillorme as a utility infielder. But the outfield sans McNeil would feature Michael Conforto, J.D. Davis, Juan Lagares, and Aaron Altherr. The latter two players have turned in miserable offensive efforts to this point of the season.

Tejada has been swinging the bat well at Triple-A, where he owns a .332/.411/.477 batting line over 299 plate appearances. Even allowing for International League offensive inflation, that’s a strong 132 wRC+. But the 29-year-old has never appeared in the outfield as a professional. Neither has Guillorme. Ditto Panik.

That said, there is logic in going to Tejada right now. With opponents scheduling lefty starters in two of the next three games, he’ll be a nice compliment to the left-handed-hitting Panik. Meanwhile, the club will feel better about leaning on Lagares, a strong up-the-middle defender who has historically fared much better when facing southpaws.

Ultimately, if McNeil is down for a while, it seems some kind of outfield supplementation will be preferable — even if that means going outside the organization (tough as that may be this time of the year). Whether Tejada would have a shot at sticking on the roster for the duration of the season remains to be seen.

Jeff McNeil To Undergo MRI On Hamstring

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Mets outfielder/infielder Jeff McNeil departed the team’s loss to the Braves on Tuesday with an apparent left hamstring injury, per Deesha Thosar of the New York Daily News. He’ll undergo an MRI on Wednesday, Tim Healey of Newsday tweets.

McNeil already spent time on the injured list earlier in the season with a hamstring strain, which shelved him for 12 days. The 27-year-old has otherwise enjoyed a dream season, having slashed .332/.400/.529 (148 wRC+) with 15 home runs in 442 plate appearances. Along with serving as one of the majors’ premier hitters, McNeil has been a versatile defender for the Mets. He has appeared in 79 games in the corner outfield, 26 at second base and 16 at third.

The presence of McNeil is an obvious reason the Mets have saved their season over the past several weeks. Despite Tuesday’s defeat, the former bottom feeders find themselves 61-58 and a manageable two games out of a wild-card spot. At least on paper, losing McNeil would damage their chances to rally for a playoff berth. He’d also be the second keystone option to hit the IL recently for the Mets, who are without starter Robinson Cano because of a torn hamstring. However, the club does still have Joe Panik – whom it signed last week – to handle second and Todd Frazier to man third. It’s in less capable hands in the corner outfield, where Dominic Smith and Brandon Nimmo are currently on the IL.

The McNeil-less Mets would likely have to give more outfield playing time to the light-hitting Juan Lagares (who did have a 4-for-4 night Tuesday) as a complement to Michael Conforto and J.D. Davis. New York also has Aaron Altherr at the major league level, but he has endured a nightmarish season, with Dilson Herrera, Rajai Davis and Gregor Blanco among veteran possibilities in the minors. Alternatively, promoting infielder Ruben Tejada could be in the cards, according to Jon Heyman of MLB Network.

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