The Mets, with their playoff hopes fading fast, are in desperate need of a spark as the final weeks of the season wind down.
They could get a big one by the end of the week.
Brandon Nimmo, who has been out with a hamstring strain since Sept. 4, told reporters on Wednesday that he hopes to make his return to the lineup by Friday at the latest, which would be a big boost to the top of the New York lineup.
“Watching last night was killing me,” Nimmo said. “I knew I could be off [the IL] that day and it wasn’t how things were scheduled. It’s a big hole, and with where the team’s at and the season’s at, we’re running out of time…I definitely want to try and get back as soon as possible, but I don’t want to just come back for one game and be right back out. I need to be available for the rest of the season.”
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Nimmo has been one of the team’s most consistent hitters this season, batting .302 with an .835 OPS across 265 at-bats. Manager Luis Rojas said last week that Nimmo was recovering ahead of schedule, and he ran at 90 percent on Sunday, but still feels he will have to play it smart when he is ready to return.
“It’s hard to balance,” Nimmo said. “I want to be out there really, really badly and be fighting with my guys. But you want to do that as smart as possible.”
Nimmo hit on the field on Wednesday against Noah Syndergaard, as the righty was throwing a simulated game at Citi Field. It is the latest step towards a return to the Mets, who will use him out of the bullpen if he is ready to return before the season runs out.
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