New York Mets' Jeff McNeil, left, reacts after being hit by a pitch from Cincinnati Reds' Brandon Williamson during the fifth inning of a baseball game Friday, Sept. 6, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
NEW YORK (AP) – The Mets’ Jeff McNeil fractured his right wrist when hit by a pitch and will miss the rest of the regular season.
McNeil was struck on a protective guard covering the wrist 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 night. McNeil played second base in the sixth but the wrist swelled, he had difficulty taking swings in the batting cage and Harrison Bader pinch hit for him in the bottom half.
An MRI Saturday revealed a small fracture.
“Frustrated – this is not how you want to kind of end the season,” McNeil said. “I want to be out there with the guys.”
McNeil was surprised by the injury.
“It barely hit me. Didn’t even hurt,” he said. “So definitely shocked.”
McNeil and manager Carlos Mendoza said he likely will need four to six weeks to recover, which gives McNeil a chance to return if the Mets make a deep postseason run.
“I would say if you see me on the field again, that’s a really good thing,” McNeil said.
McNeil led the major leagues with a .326 average in 2022 but hit just .238 in 129 games this year. He was benched for several days in June and was hitting .216 at the All-Star break, then batted .289 with seven homers and 20 RBIs in his final 41 games.
“Proud of him because he fought and he never put his head down,” Mendoza said. “Big blow for us, tough year for him.”
Jose Iglesias, who is batting .312 in 186 at-bats, is expected to see most of the starts at second base. The Mets will place McNeil on the injured list and Mendoza said Luisangel Acuña, a brother of Braves star Ronald Acuña Jr., was among the players under consideration for McNeil’s roster spot.
The younger Acuña, acquired from Texas for Max Scherzer in July 2023, was hitting .263 with 38 stolen bases while splitting time among second base, shortstop and centerfield for Triple-A Syracuse.
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