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Jeff McNeil of the Mets feared the worst after the “scary” crash into the wall

Jeff McNeil feared he suffered more than a bruise on his left knee when he crashed into the left field fence making Asdrubal Cabrera’s volley to save the run to finish the first inning of Thursday’s national team win at Citi Campo.

He did not play in the Mets’ 6-5 defeat to the Phillies on Friday night in Philadelphia, but is considered day-to-day.

“As soon as I hit the wall, my knee was a little numb and it looked weird,” McNeil said before Friday’s game. “I thought it was much worse. When I got up, it didn’t feel like my knee was too stable. This is what was so scary. “

He was taken off the pitch, but McNeil and the Mets got good news when an MRI exam and X-ray showed only the bruise.

On Friday he said the knee was “much better, albeit still sore.

“I’m pretty optimistic about how it feels,” McNeil said.

Jeff McNeil is taken off the pitch after crashing into the wall during Thursday's game against the Nationals.
Jeff McNeil is taken off the pitch after crashing into the wall during Thursday’s game against the Nationals.NY Post: Charles Wenzelberg

Dom Smith started Friday on the left, with Brandon Nimmo in the center and Michael Conforto on the right.

Despite initial concern, McNeil said he has no plans to tone down his style of play, which can sometimes lead to injuries like the one he suffered on Thursday.

“I’ll keep doing it,” McNeil said of his aggression. “That’s who I am. I play hard. I play right. So if there’s a ball that I have to hit the wall to catch it, I’ll hit it. [On Thursday], saved a couple of runs. I will never change. This is who I am as a player and that’s just who I will be. “

And it goes well with manager Luis Rojas.

“It sounds so tough, always,” Rojas said. “The other day, he dived to catch an incoming ball and was sacrificing his whole body to get out. That’s how it plays. Sometimes I see him stepping on first base really hard and I say “oh”, but that’s what it sounds like. It is difficult to take away the aggression from the boy [and] to be on the safe side. He might even get hurt like this … I’m just glad there’s nothing more serious in there. “

This includes a head injury, which McNeil said even the coaches were afraid of when they first came out to see him after the show.

“I was able to put my hands up and protect my face and head,” McNeil said. “My neck was a little sore [Thursday] night.


David Peterson was feeling “fine,” according to Rojas, the day after he was removed at 74 pitches for arm fatigue. But the Mets won’t have a better idea until Saturday’s next southpaw throwing round if he’s facing complications.


After Luis Guillorme singled out with one at the top of eighth – his third hit of the night – he was replaced by pinching Billy Hamilton. Quick Hamilton quickly stole second, but when the ball slipped off Jean Segura at second, Hamilton made an ill-conceived decision to try and advance to third. Didi Gregorius hit the ball and made a strong off-balance shot in the third to get Hamilton for the second elimination. Amed Rosario then sniffed to finish the innings.

“He was pretty angry with himself when he got back on the bench,” Rojas said. “He was overly aggressive in the game. … I don’t know if he thought the ball had gone away. “


Amed Rosario returned to the starting lineup for shortstop after three days absent due to a stomach ache. Andres Gimenez, who had played shortstop in Rosario’s absence, left for third base to give JD Davis a day off. Rojas considered crushing Davis for Wilson Ramos in ninth place. Ramos went ashore.

“We trust [Ramos] in that at-bat, ” Rojas said.


Drew Smith was cast for the Mets’ alternate training site to clear roster space for Cano.

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