QUEENS, NY — With center fielder Jose Siri officially on the 10-day injured list and expected to miss at least three weeks, per manager Carlos Mendoza, the New York Mets could fill his position by committee in the interim.
Tyrone Taylor, who was the second half of a platoon alongside Siri in center, will get the bulk of the starts for the time being. While his defense is sound, he’s batting just .163 with a .409 OPS in 43 at-bats.
In need of alternative options, Mendoza could slot veteran left fielder Brandon Nimmo back into center field, where he played almost exclusively in 2022 and 2023.
“I’m comfortable with him playing in center any time we need him to,” Mendoza said of Nimmo. “Also comfortable playing the other guys. I think it’s going to be matchup-based. If I feel like I need to get another lefty in the lineup, we put [Jesse Winker] in left and Brandon in center, we’ll be fine.”
Another lefty bat nearing the equation is second baseman Jeff McNeil, who went down in spring training with a strained oblique. With experience playing corner-outfield spots at the major-league level, he got the start in center field for Single-A Port St. Lucie during his rehab outing on Thursday.
McNeil was set to be the Mets’ everyday second baseman to start the 2025 season before his injury, and he will play his natural position in back-to-back games — likely for Double-A Binghamton — beginning on Friday.
Luisangel Acuna, who was part of the second-base platoon alongside Brett Baty to step in when McNeil went down, is also a center-field option, considering he got reps at the position while in the minors.
“We’ll see,” Mendoza said. “…We are preparing Acuna for a potential start if we need him to. He’s playing well, so he’s earning opportunities.”
The 23-year-old entered Thursday night’s series opener against the St. Louis Cardinals batting .381 with a .935 OPS, one RBI, and four stolen bases in his previous six games. With his added versatility, Baty becomes the likeliest option to be optioned to Triple-A once McNeil returns.
