1 NY Mets player who became even more important following the Jesse Winker injury

Pilates, bubble wrap, and some large doses of Jeff McNeil can help the New York Mets from adding more players to their injured list. The absence of Jesse Winker for the next 6-8 weeks might not directly have anything to do with McNeil. But with bodies piling up on the injured list and two of the team’s outfield options to begin the year sidelined, manager Carlos Mendoza is going to ask everyone to step up even more.

Some things are easier said than done. Starling Marte will have a chance to be more of an everyday DH as long as he performs. Others can sneak their way into the spot. Brett Baty’s presence allows Mark Vientos more DH time. We should see Brandon Nimmo, Juan Soto, and anyone else in need of a day off their feet defensively get their chance.

It all leads back to McNeil. His track record of playing multiple positions can be beneficial at avoiding an even more crowded IL room—a figure of speech and not an assumption all injured players are placed in a hyperbaric chamber and frozen in time within a singular room until their bodies heal.

Jeff McNeil just got a lot more important for the Mets

McNeil is no longer the starting second baseman for the Mets. They don’t have one. Luisangel Acuna has done plenty to show off his big league skills and provide them with everything they could ask for. Despite his strong showing, the Mets continue to use McNeil at second base. He’s getting the start at his old position in the opener against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Since his IL return, McNeil has started 3 games at second base, 3 in center field, and another in left field. He played an inning in right field in their 19-5 bloodletting against the Washington Nationals. A game which saw him bounce all over the field, the theme of his short season thus far has been flexibility. His offense has been good enough to justify the playing time. He has reached base in every game he has played with a hit in every one but his appearance on Sunday against the St. Louis Cardinals. He still managed to score 2 of the team’s 5 runs.

The Mets have been strict about who plays defense for them and who doesn’t. They avoided using Winker as much as possible in the field. The same goes for Marte whose first start in the outfield on Sunday ended abruptly. It would be nice to have him available as a defensive player. Realizing the truth about who Marte is, they’ve stayed away from having him play defense and in part as a preventative measure to keep him healthy.

McNeil has already given the Mets a center field alternative, but a few games into it we have all come to the conclusion it’s best to use him there in an emergency. Left field and right field are his better secondary positions. And with the Mets starting Acuna at third base this past weekend, we have an idea of what they think of McNeil over there.

Baty’s return to the majors will give the team added defensive flexibility across the infield with McNeil being the most versatile one on the roster and maybe one of the more trusted ones. For them to so quickly toss him into center field shows their faith in him and maybe a lack of it from Acuna and at least some resistance in letting Nimmo man the position regularly.

Faced with multiple recent injuries, the Mets will need to tread carefully with playing time for others. McNeil is a guy who can help make it happen.