Brandon Nimmo eyes opening day in wake of encouraging damage report
PORT ST. LUCIE — Brandon Nimmo is wanting towards Opening Day.
A day after imaging revealed Nimmo has a low-grade sprain to his proper knee and ankle, the Mets outfielder mentioned Sunday he totally expects to be prepared for the Opening Day begin on March 30.
“In my coronary heart of hearts, I do suppose so,” Nimmo mentioned at his locker, carrying a black wrap that prolonged the size of his leg. “Proper now, I positively suppose that I’ll be prepared for Opening Day.”
Nimmo sustained the damage Friday, sliding into second base and was helped from the sphere by supervisor Buck Showalter and a coach.
Nimmo mentioned his spike caught within the filth as he was sliding. The preliminary concern was for Nimmo’s knee, however the workforce later introduced he had discomfort within the ankle. However because the evening progressed, Nimmo mentioned his knee ache intensified.
“So once I obtained the MRI, I used to be truly extra relieved that it wasn’t extra critical and we’re no new structural injury, simply sort of sprains in there, and to me, that was the very best information we might have gotten,” Nimmo mentioned. “A variety of issues might have gone fallacious there so I actually really feel lucky that we dodged a bullet there.”
Max Scherzer’s subsequent begin is scheduled for Friday in St. Petersburg towards the Rays, which might align him for Opening Day in Miami — with an additional day of relaxation.
The Publish reported final week that the Mets’ plan is to start out Scherzer on Opening Day and Justin Verlander for the house opener on April 6 (after pitching in Miami throughout the opening weekend).
DJ Stewart talked his method into remaining in Sunday’s sport for a remaining at-bat after getting a triple, single and double in his first three plate appearances of the day.
The outfielder was rewarded, hitting a line-drive homer within the seventh inning to finish the cycle.
Stewart, who spent the final 5 seasons with the Orioles — he performed for Showalter briefly in 2018 — is predicted to start the season at Triple-A Syracuse as outfield depth.
Al Leiter arrived in camp to start his stint as a visitor teacher. John Franco is predicted at Clover Park on Monday.