Jeff McNeil is on the Mets’ NLCS roster, and he pinch-hit for Tyrone Taylor in the eighth inning of Game 1, lining out in his first at-bat since suffering a right wrist fracture on a hit by pitch on September 6.
The injury was considered a four-to-six-week recovery, and as he said then, if he played again this season, it was a good sign for the Mets – and there he was, ready to rock when the rosters were set for their third playoff series of the fall, and in the batter’s box five weeks and two days after the injury.
“Wanted to make sure the wrist felt good. Had no problems at all. Took real aggressive swings, great at-bast, and didn't hurt at all, so I knew I was ready,” McNeil said of making the NLCS roster. “Happy to be back.
Happy to be contributing in this NLCS.”
With no minor leagues still going for him to rehab with, McNeil had 10 plate appearances in two Arizona Fall League games as his only preparation to return, going 2-for-9 with a walk, but the physical was much more important than the stat line.
“Just wanted to get through it healthy, didn’t want any pain, but the wrist felt good,” he said. “Saw some good velocity the last few days, and that felt good. And I took a really good at-bat, too, my first AB; I think it was six or seven-pitch at-bat and got a base hit. Felt really good. Kind of felt like myself. So as long as I felt good swinging the bat with no pain, I wanted to be here. it's going to be tough, but that's where I am at with my talent.”
McNeil was confident the Mets would make it to October, even if less confident he would be ready to go at some point, but he’s thrilled both he and the team have gotten to this point.
“We were playing well and I thought there was a pretty good chance we'd make the playoffs,” McNeil said. “That's what was probably the most frustrating part, is getting hurt and not being able to help the team and contribute to that great run. But just to be back right now means a lot. I wanted to play in the playoffs. It's been tough watching. But a lot of fun, at the same time, seeing how this team's been playing. I think we're just all clicking at the same time. The starting pitching has been great. The bullpen's been great. We're getting some big timely hits when we need it. So the whole team's come together, been playing great baseball for a few months now.”
McNeil took the roster spot of Adam Ottavino, ostensibly, as the Mets are going with an eight-man bullpen and 14 position players for this round. However, Carlos Mendoza has had a pretty standard rotation of sorts in the first two rounds, with Luisangel Acuna and Harrison Bader coming off the bench as defensive replacements and Jesse Winker and J.D. Martinez sort of platooning at DH – so where does McNeil fit in?
“(Mendoza) told me just to be ready. It's going to change day to day. Be ready to come off the bench. Take some big at-bats,” McNeil said. “The Dodgers are right-handed heavy, so I'm sure there's going to be some at-bats, but just be ready and anything can happen.”
Even if that pinch-hit late in a lopsided loss is as good as it gets, that’s fine, as this is McNeil’s first foray this deep into the playoffs, and he’s relishing every moment.
“It means a lot,” he said. “Just being in this organization for as long as I have and not getting too deep in the playoffs, it means a lot to play in such a big series here. So just super happy.”