Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo said Friday the testing he underwent this week was to ensure his heart walls hadn't thickened.
Nimmo, who has known for years he has an irregular heartbeat, was scratched from Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Astros to undergo cardiac screening.
He said Friday he underwent an EKG and is fine.
"I have a little bit larger heart, but I have a lot of love to give," Nimmo joked with reporters at spring training in Port St. Lucie, Florida, on Friday.
Nimmo was in the Mets' lineup Friday against the Cardinals, batting second and playing center field.
"The biggest thing was we had to check the boxes," Nimmo told WFAN's Joe Benigno and Evan Roberts on Friday. "When it comes to your heart, it's just a little bit different than orthepedic. So we had to check the boxes on just something that just a little irregular heartbreat that I had in 2016. And it's just something that I have, and it's not that abnormal, especially in professional athletes. But basically, they had to take me off the field. That was what caused the biggest concern was I was in the lineup, they got the information, they were like: 'Hey, we can't let you play today, ou've got to go get these tests done.'"
The New York Post reported Thursday that Nimmo wore a heart monitor for 24 hours and underwent a stress test.
"We always want to be precautious and never want to put players in harm's way," general manager Brodie Van Wagenen said Thursday. "I think this was a perfect example of that."
Nimmo's wife was the first to say publicly Thursday that the 26-year-old Met is OK.
"I'm just gonna say it. Brandon is fine (other than wishing he could just do his thing & play!)," Chelsea Jane Nimmo tweeted. "The timing was inconvenient & has caused a media storm. He's healthy and feels great, just have to be sure of these things. Hopefully we can get this all cleared up and move forward!"
I'm just gonna say it. Brandon is fine (other than wishing he could just do his thing & play!) The timing was inconvenient & has caused a media storm. He's healthy and feels great, just have to be sure of these things. Hopefully we can get this all cleared up and move forward!
— Chelsea Jane Nimmo (@chelseajnimmo) February 27, 2020Nimmo is entering his fifth year with the Mets. A neck injury limited him to 69 games last season, in which he batted .221 with eight home runs.
