WASHINGTON — Jeff McNeil’s sabbatical may last a full week.
McNeil, who did not get a chance to pitch against the Nationals’ three left-handed pitchers, has not played since Sunday.
The Mets left the nation’s capital in a sweep and flew to London, where they’ll have Thursday and Friday off before starting a two-game series against the Phillies on Saturday, the first of which will see them face fellow left-hander Ranger Suarez.
That means McNeil, who played in 55 of the team’s first 56 games, will likely not be at bat for the next week.
Manager Carlos Mendoza said McNeil was benched not only because recently called up Jose Iglesias was the better option against left-handed pitching, but also because McNeil “needed to work on some things.”
Mendoza acknowledged the team’s intention in having everyday players sit on the bench for an entire week midway through the season was for more than just physical rest.
“Yes, it’s mental. [too]”He has an opportunity to continue working on what he needs to be working on right now,” Mendoza said.
McNeil has yet to publicly discuss being benched after a tough 2023 season and a poor few months this year. The former Mets’ regular second baseman’s batting average has dropped from .326 in 2022 to .270 in 2023 and .227 in 57 games this season.
Every sign of a resurgence for McNeil, such as a solid trip from Philadelphia to Miami to Cleveland in mid-May, was followed by another slump.
McNeil is just four for 28 over his past eight games. The 2022 NL batting leader gets most of his value from his batting average, but that doesn’t help. McNeil doesn’t have much power and has just three home runs on the year.
And it makes things worse that McNeil’s slump isn’t just reflected in his hitting: He entered Wednesday’s game ranked 33rd out of 38 qualified second basemen in outs.
He committed four errors at second base, but the bigger issue is his lack of mobility.
McNeil averaged a top velocity of 27.8 feet per second during his rookie season in 2018.
Last season, his velocity remained roughly the same at 27.4 feet per second. Two months into this season, the 32-year-old’s velocity has dropped to 25.6 feet per second.
The Mets continued to use him primarily in the infield throughout April and May, mainly because they lacked a replacement.
Bringing back Iglesias not only gives them another option, but also adds a player who has been renowned for his defensive play since his debut in 2011.
Iglesias played well defensively, hit well against lefty batters and made some hustle plays.
His infield hit extended a ninth-inning comeback against the Diamondbacks on Saturday, and on Tuesday he turned a ball that was just deep in left into a double.
“The players feel that,” Mendoza said of Iglesias’ performance. “He brings positive energy. He participates. He talks. He does the little things. It’s not just that he’s playing well and that’s what gets us results, he brings energy. The players motivate each other.”
