Brandon Nimmo is optimistic about his restoration from plantar fasciitis, even when the damage stays one thing he has to cope with.
The Mets left fielder acquired an injection in his ailing left foot after final season and has been going to bodily remedy for it all through the winter.
“The biggest thing is being ready for Opening Day, and to that point, we’re just gonna try and go as fast as the foot will let us,” Nimmo mentioned final weekend on the Amazin’ Day fan pageant at Citi Discipline.
Nimmo, 31, started coping with plantar fasciitis final Might, then re-aggravated the damage in Recreation 3 of the NLDS, all of which he revealed to The Athletic in October. He performed by means of the damage within the NLCS, which ended with Mets’ Recreation 6 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Nimmo has been in a position to hit and work out with out situation this offseason, he mentioned final weekend, however the damage prevented him from sprinting.
“[I’m] in the jogging progression now, and then hopefully that will go to the sprinting and we’ll be able to get right back into it,” he mentioned.
Plantar fasciitis is characterised by irritation of the tissue that connects the heel bone to the toes alongside the underside of the foot. Nimmo believes his case stems from overuse.
Nimmo mentioned he doesn’t count on to be within the Mets’ lineup for the primary few spring coaching video games however “fully” plans to be prepared for Opening Day.
“It’s a case-to-case basis,” Nimmo mentioned of restoration from plantar fasciitis. “It depends how your body moves and where your stress points are, but for me, it’s going really well right now, and we have a plan going forward to try and mitigate it as much as possible.
“Obviously, we can’t see the future, but we’re trying to prepare for it not to happen again rather than trying to be reactive to it happening again.”
Nimmo set a profession excessive with 90 RBI final season, whereas his 23 dwelling runs had been one shy of his private finest. He slumped within the second half, nonetheless, hitting .190 with seven dwelling runs and a .596 OPS after the All-Star break.
The nine-year veteran stepped up in the course of the Mets’ remaining homestand, recording at the very least one RBI in every of the final 5 video games — and totaling 9 RBI over that stretch — within the coronary heart of the Mets’ playoff push.
“There’s really good things to take from last year and learn from, but I’ll always keep trying to improve,” Nimmo mentioned. “Looking for more of the same of what I did in the first half, but trying to be more consistent.”
ALVAREZ ASCENSION
One other Met searching for consistency is Francisco Alvarez.
The 23-year-old catcher hit .237 final season, up from .209 as a rookie in 2023. He dropped, nonetheless, from 25 dwelling runs as a rookie to 11 final yr.
Alvarez suffered a ligament tear in his left thumb in April, which required surgical procedure and price him practically eight weeks, however he doesn’t imagine the damage was behind his uneven season.
He struck out in practically 28% of his at-bats final yr and has made it some extent this winter to enhance his plate self-discipline.
“I changed a lot of things,” Alvarez mentioned on the fan pageant. “I’m going to have more plate discipline, and I’m going to have better numbers, too.”
YOUTH MOVEMENT
The Mets benefited final yr from the emergence of Mark Vientos, who, in his age-24 season, broke out with 27 dwelling runs.
May Luisangel Acuña be subsequent?
Acuña, 22, hit .308 with three dwelling runs and a .966 OPS in 40 MLB plate appearances final September and crammed in admirably at shortstop as Francisco Lindor nursed an injured again.
Mets supervisor Carlos Mendoza mentioned he expects Acuña to have a “huge role” in 2025.
“The young players are going to get opportunities. Luisangel will get his,” Mendoza mentioned. “He’s taking ground balls at third base, so he’s part of that mix. He showed us he can play at this level, and he will continue to get opportunities.”
The Mets would have a emptiness at third base if they didn’t re-sign Pete Alonso, who stays a free agent, and moved Vientos to first base. Vientos and Brett Baty have been taking reps at first base however stay within the third base dialog as effectively.
The Mets acquired Acuña, the youthful brother of Atlanta Braves celebrity Ronald Acuña Jr., within the July 2023 commerce that despatched Max Scherzer to the Texas Rangers.
