Mets' Brandon Nimmo Dealing With Neck Stiffness For Second Time This Spring

In what started off as a quiet spring training for the Mets in the injury department has now seen this dreaded bug rear its ugly head as camp winds down.

On Monday, April 4, manager Buck Showalter told reporters that centerfielder Brandon Nimmo is dealing with neck stiffness, which popped up after Sunday's 8-4 victory over the Miami Marlins. Nimmo received treatment on his neck immediately after feeling stiff in this area yesterday, per Showalter.

Brandon Nimmo is not in the lineup today due to a stiff neck: pic.twitter.com/1knPnurkKn
— SNY (@SNYtv) April 4, 2022

Nimmo was out of the lineup against the Houston Astros earlier this afternoon and will also be absent from the Mets' Grapefruit League finale on Tuesday, per Showalter.

While this ailment puts Nimmo's status for Opening Day in limbo, given the fact that the Mets are set to break camp after tomorrow's game, Showalter is still expecting his centerfielder to be out there on April 7 for the regular-season opener against the Washington Nationals.

For Nimmo, this is the second time in which he has dealt with neck stiffness this spring. Nimmo experienced similar symptoms in the early portion of camp, but Showalter said the 29-year-old was able to see this discomfort go away after managing it quickly.

Showalter is comfortable with resting Nimmo for the final two days of Grapefruit League play because the outfielder has accumulated enough at-bats (31) ahead of the regular-season. Nimmo has gone 5-for-26 with 10 strikeouts, five walks, one home run and one RBI during his shortened-spring training.

In 2019, Nimmo was limited to just 69 games, missing a total of three months, after being diagnosed with a bulging cervical disc pushing on a nerve in his neck.

Nimmo will enter his contract-year in 2022, and despite his willingness to discuss a long-term deal ahead of the regular-season, his agent Scott Boras and the Mets have not had any dialogue regarding an extension up until this point, as The New York Post reported.

Bill Kostroun

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Shreve Cracks The Bigs

Left-handed relief pitcher Chasen Shreve has been making a strong push for a spot in the Mets' bullpen this spring. And it appears as though he has officially earned it.

Earlier this morning, Shreve informed Newsday that he has made the Mets' Opening Day roster. After signing a minor league deal with the Mets on March 17, the southpaw delivered four no-hit innings during Grapefruit League action, while striking out six batters in the process.

Shreve, 31, spent the Covid-shortened 2020 campaign with the Mets, posting a 3.96 ERA and 1.16 WHIP in 25 innings. Last season, Shreve produced a 3.20 ERA across 56.1 innings with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Left-handed batters hit just .200 against Shreve a season ago. Both Shreve and newly acquired fellow lefty reliever Joely Rodriguez will help stabilize a predominantly right-handed Mets' bullpen.

Carrasco

In his final tune-up start before the regular-season, Carlos Carrasco tossed 4.1 innings on 62 pitches, allowing two earned runs on four hits, while striking out five and walking one in a 3-3 tie with the Houston Astros on Monday. The righty retired the last eight batters he faced in this outing.

Carrasco is slated to take the hill in Sunday's series finale with the Washington Nationals, in what will be his first start of the regular-season. And Monday's solid performance was a promising sign for Carrasco, who the Mets desperately need to bounce-back this season, given the fact that Jacob deGrom will be out for a significant period of time. Co-ace Max Scherzer is also questionable in the early part of the season due to a hamstring issue.

Carrasco, 35, is coming off a season, where a torn hamstring in spring training kept him out until July 30. Carrasco also had a bone spur removed from his right elbow in October.

On the bright side, the right-hander feels completely different this year as he gets set to enter his 14th season in the big-leagues.

"It's completely different right now," Carrasco said, of his body at the end of camp. "Last year, there were a lot of up-and-downs due to my hammy. But I came into spring training healthy, so I feel ready. Elbow's great, even better than last year."

The Mets can only hope that health will equate to Carrasco reverting back to the Cy Young candidate he once was with the Cleveland Guardians in years past.

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