Jeff McNeil of the Mets broke his right wrist after being hit by a pitch and will not play for the rest of the regular season.
During the Mets’ 6-4 win against Cincinnati on Friday night, McNeil was hit on a protective guard on his wrist by a curveball from Brandon Williamson in the fifth inning.
He continued playing second base in the sixth inning, but his wrist began to swell. He struggled with batting practice, and Harrison Bader took his place for hitting. An MRI on Saturday showed a small fracture.
McNeil expressed frustration about the injury. “This is not how you want to end the season kind of,” he said. “I want to be out there with the guys.”
He was surprised by how the injury happened. “It barely hit me. Didn’t even hurt,” he said. “So definitely shocked.”
McNeil and manager Carlos Mendoza think he will need four to six weeks to recover, so he might return if the Mets go deep into the playoffs. “If you see me on the field again, that’s a really good thing,” McNeil said.
Last year, McNeil had the highest batting average in the majors at .326, but this year he hit .238 in 129 games. He struggled early in the season, hitting .216 by the All-Star break, but improved to .289 with seven homers and 20 RBIs in his last 41 games.
Mendoza praised McNeil for his effort. “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 hitting .312 in 186 at-bats, is expected to play most of the games at second base. McNeil will be placed on the injured list, and Mendoza mentioned that Luisangel Acuña, the brother of Braves star Ronald Acuña Jr., is a possible replacement.
Acuña, who was traded from Texas for Max Scherzer in July 2023, is hitting .263 with 38 stolen bases and has played second base, shortstop, and center field for Triple-A Syracuse.
