{"id":87391,"date":"2024-10-08T16:09:59","date_gmt":"2024-10-08T20:09:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/?p=87391"},"modified":"2024-10-08T16:09:59","modified_gmt":"2024-10-08T20:09:59","slug":"jeff-mcneil-road-to-recovery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2024\/10\/08\/jeff-mcneil-road-to-recovery\/","title":{"rendered":"Injury Recovery Path Leads to Arizona for Mets Mainstay"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"html-div xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r xexx8yu x4uap5 x18d9i69 xkhd6sd\" tabindex=\"-1\">\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"x1yztbdb\"><span class=\"x1lliihq x1plvlek xryxfnj x1n2onr6 x1ff1cvt xatrb82 x193iq5w xeuugli x1fj9vlw x13faqbe x1vvkbs x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xt4736n x1havqas x1f0sm9e x12qp5cl xzsf02u x1yc453h xudqn12 x3x7a5m\">According to MLB.com&#8217;s Anthony DiComo, the New York Mets have requested permission from Major League Baseball to send <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/m\/mcneije01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-10-08_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jeff McNeil<\/a> to the Arizona Fall League for rehab games.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">The Mets are petitioning Major League Baseball to allow Jeff McNeil to appear in Arizona Fall League games. That would get him the live pitching he needs to see before activation.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/AnthonyDiComo\/status\/1843704676170309914?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">October 8, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"html-div xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r xexx8yu x4uap5 x18d9i69 xkhd6sd\" tabindex=\"-1\">\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"html-div xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r xexx8yu x4uap5 x18d9i69 xkhd6sd\" tabindex=\"-1\">\n<div class=\"x1yztbdb\"><span class=\"x1lliihq x1plvlek xryxfnj x1n2onr6 x1ff1cvt xatrb82 x193iq5w xeuugli x1fj9vlw x13faqbe x1vvkbs x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xt4736n x1havqas x1f0sm9e x12qp5cl xzsf02u x1yc453h xudqn12 x3x7a5m\">Facing live pitching is the last step in McNeil&#8217;s recovery, and the AFL provides an ideal opportunity. This stint would position him for potential postseason action. McNeil has been <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2024\/09\/07\/mets-mcneil-wrist-season\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">sidelined since early September<\/a> with a fractured right wrist. <\/span>Barring setbacks, McNeil appears on track to return for the National League Championship Series, assuming the Mets advance.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"html-div xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r xexx8yu x4uap5 x18d9i69 xkhd6sd\" tabindex=\"-1\">\n<h2 class=\"x1e56ztr\"><span class=\"x193iq5w xeuugli x1fj9vlw x13faqbe x1vvkbs xt0psk2 xt4736n x1havqas x1f0sm9e x12qp5cl xzsf02u x1yc453h\">Road to Recovery Takes Jeff McNeil to AFL<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<p>If the Mets advance to the NLCS, McNeil&#8217;s chances of being added to the roster are considerable. While not a certainty, McNeil&#8217;s return is highly plausible, contingent upon his successful recovery and live pitching appearances over the next five days. Should McNeil be added, Luisangel <span class=\"x1lliihq x1plvlek xryxfnj x1n2onr6 x1ff1cvt xatrb82 x193iq5w xeuugli x1fj9vlw x13faqbe x1vvkbs x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xt4736n x1havqas x1f0sm9e x12qp5cl xzsf02u x1yc453h xudqn12 x3x7a5m\">Acu\u00f1a would likely be the roster casualty. <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2024\/09\/15\/luisangel-acunas-promotion-mets-mlb\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">Acu\u00f1a<\/a> has seen minimal playing time, and McNeil&#8217;s presence would further limit those opportunities. DiComo echoed this sentiment in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlb.com\/news\/mets-reddit-ama-nlds-2024\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">recent Reddit AMA<\/a>, suggesting Acu\u00f1a&#8217;s already limited role would be effectively eliminated by McNeil&#8217;s return.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>McNeil&#8217;s veteran presence and versatility would bolster the Mets lineup, making a valuable asset for the NLCS. While no guarantee, McNeil&#8217;s progress suggests a strong possibility of his inclusion, which could at <span class=\"x1lliihq x1plvlek xryxfnj x1n2onr6 x1ff1cvt xatrb82 x193iq5w xeuugli x1fj9vlw x13faqbe x1vvkbs x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xt4736n x1havqas x1f0sm9e x12qp5cl xzsf02u x1yc453h xudqn12 x3x7a5m\">Acu\u00f1a&#8217;s expense.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Manager <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/search\/search.fcgi?pid=mendoca01,mendoca99,mendoz005car&amp;search=Carlos+Mendoza&amp;utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-10-08_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Carlos Mendoza<\/a> will face an intriguing decision on how to utilize the versatile infielder\/outfielder.<\/p>\n<div class=\"html-div xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r xexx8yu x4uap5 x18d9i69 xkhd6sd\" tabindex=\"-1\">\n<div class=\"x1yztbdb\"><span class=\"x1lliihq x1plvlek xryxfnj x1n2onr6 x1ff1cvt xatrb82 x193iq5w xeuugli x1fj9vlw x13faqbe x1vvkbs x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xt4736n x1havqas x1f0sm9e x12qp5cl xzsf02u x1yc453h xudqn12 x3x7a5m\">Before his injury, McNeil was entrenched as the starting second baseman, with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/i\/iglesjo01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-10-08_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jose Iglesias<\/a> serving as a bench option. However, McNeil&#8217;s ability to play corner outfield positions adds a new layer of flexibility to the Mets&#8217; lineup.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"html-div xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r xexx8yu x4uap5 x18d9i69 xkhd6sd\" tabindex=\"-1\">\n<div class=\"x1yztbdb\"><span class=\"x1lliihq x1plvlek xryxfnj x1n2onr6 x1ff1cvt xatrb82 x193iq5w xeuugli x1fj9vlw x13faqbe x1vvkbs x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xt4736n x1havqas x1f0sm9e x12qp5cl xzsf02u x1yc453h xudqn12 x3x7a5m\">Mendoza can now consider various alignments, potentially using McNeil to spell starters, provide late-game defensive upgrades, or even create favorable matchups. McNeil&#8217;s versatility could prove pivotal in the postseason&#8217;s high-pressure environment.<\/span><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>&#8220;I&#8217;m hoping for anything,&#8221; McNeil said to <a href=\"https:\/\/sny.tv\/articles\/mets-jeff-mcneil-nearing-possible-return\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">SNY<\/a>. &#8220;[The wrist is] feeling good. I&#8217;m gnna go off of the advice of the training staff and what this team needs to I want to be ready to play and I know there&#8217;s a few more steps that I need to take care of in order to be ready so we&#8217;ll work on that and like I said, it&#8217;s gonna be a day-to-day thing and when my time is called, I&#8217;ll be ready.&#8221;<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Main Photo: \u00a9 Brad Penner-Imagn Images<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>According to MLB.com&#8217;s Anthony DiComo, the New York Mets have requested permission from Major League Baseball to send Jeff McNeil to the Arizona Fall League for rehab games. The Mets are petitioning Major League Baseball to allow Jeff McNeil to appear in Arizona Fall League games. That would get him the live pitching he needs [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3686,"featured_media":87399,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[22,1071,35],"tags":[4683,2257,543,3335],"class_list":["post-87391","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mets","category-mlb","category-news","tag-carlos-mendoza","tag-jeff-mcneil","tag-jose-iglesias","tag-luisangel-acuna"],"modified_by":"Matt Graves","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87391","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3686"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=87391"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87391\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/87399"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=87391"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=87391"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=87391"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}