NEW YORK — Jeff McNeil of the Mets fractured his right wrist after being hit by a 74.3 mph curveball from Cincinnati’s Brandon Williamson during the fifth inning of the Mets’ 6-4, 10-inning win on Friday. Although McNeil stayed in to play second base in the sixth, his wrist swelled, and he struggled to swing in the batting cage, leading to Harrison Bader pinch-hitting for him.
An MRI on Saturday revealed a small fracture, sidelining McNeil for the rest of the regular season. He expressed frustration, saying, “This is not how you want to end the season. I want to be out there with the guys.” McNeil added that he was surprised by the injury, noting it “barely hit” him and didn’t even hurt.
Both McNeil and manager Carlos Mendoza expect a 4-6 week recovery, leaving a chance for a return if the Mets make a deep postseason run. McNeil, who led the majors with a .326 average in 2022, struggled this year, batting .238 in 129 games. However, he rebounded after the All-Star break, hitting .289 with seven homers in his last 41 games. Mendoza praised McNeil’s perseverance despite a challenging season.
Jose Iglesias, hitting .312 in 186 at-bats, will likely take over second base, while Luisangel Acuna, Ronald Acuna Jr.’s younger brother, is a candidate to fill McNeil’s roster spot. Acuna, acquired from Texas in the Max Scherzer trade, is batting .263 with 38 stolen bases across multiple positions for triple-A Syracuse.