New York Mets second baseman Jeff McNeil. Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Mets' injury-plagued spring training continues to test their depth

By Seth Carlson | Last updated Mar 13, 2025 12:24 PM ET

Health hasn't been easy to come by for the New York Mets in spring training.

After losing catcher Francisco Alvarez to a left hamate bone fracture , Mets manager Carlos Mendoza told reporters on Thursday that infielder Jeff McNeil would now miss three to four weeks with a strained right oblique.

McNeil will go 7-10 days without baseball activities. He'll miss Opening Day and could be sidelined 3-4 weeks in total.

"This could be tricky," manager Carlos Mendoza said.
— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) March 13, 2025

McNeil, who missed time last season with a wrist fracture, is coming off his worst campaign since 2021 with a career-low .238 batting average over 472 plate appearances. The 2022 National League batting champion will now face an uphill climb to rebound in 2025.

McNeil's injury could allow young infielders Brett Baty and Luisangel Acuna to make the Opening Day roster. Moreover, one wonders whether these injuries could have enabled fan-favorite infielder Jose Iglesias, who helped spark New York's 2024 run to the National League Championship Series, to return this season. Iglesias recently signed with the San Diego Padres.

McNeil joins Alvarez, infielder Nick Madrigal (left shoulder fracture), and pitchers Sean Manaea (oblique), Frankie Montas (lat) and A.J. Minter (recovering from 2024 hip surgery) on the shelf to begin 2025. However, the Mets did at least receive good news on Manaea and Minter, as the former is now cleared to start throwing, while the latter is already pitching in spring training again.

We'll soon find out how deep this Mets roster is. This is especially true after President of Baseball Operations David Stearns recently touted his club's roster construction, claiming that New York is "built to withstand" this wave of injuries.

They had better be because, with the arrival of superstar outfielder Juan Soto, there is no time to waste.

Seth Carlson

Seth Carlson is an experienced writer and editor based in the NYC area with a particular love for all things baseball. He has a demonstrated history of delivering insightful analysis and engaging content across multiple outlets and industries. Seth brings his expertise and commitment to high-quality coverage to Yardbarker’s readers.

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