It would have been a tough ground ball for even the healthiest Brandon Nimmo to hit, especially for a player who has been suffering from plantar fasciitis since May and then aggravated the injury in the NLDS.
But he breached the first base line after Nimmo bounced the ball to Chris Taylor, who flipped it to Tommy Edman to spark an inning-ending double play (according to Baseball America). (It took only 4.25 seconds) to win. The Mets ultimately lost to the Dodgers, 10-2, in Game 4 of the National League CS on Thursday, but allowed one run.
Still, Nimmo was clearly affected by the injury, going 2-for-5 with singles in the sixth and seventh innings.
In the next frame, he limped into the left field seats.
He was unable to finish off a Mookie Betts double a few at-bats later, stopping the ball rolling against the wall with his foot instead of hitting it at a sharp angle, allowing the second run during that sequence. .
Earlier this week, hours before Game 3, Carlos Mendoza and Dave Roberts asked the same question.
Injuries to top stars in the lineup, including the Mets' Nimmo and the Dodgers' Freddie Freeman with a sprained right ankle, threatened stability heading into the three-game NLCS sprint in three days. Recording 27 innings was not guaranteed.
However, both managers expressed optimism.
Mendoza didn't want to get ahead of himself, but knew Nimmo “did everything he could” to avoid missing out. Roberts took a more firm stand Tuesday.
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There was no “world” in which Freeman would miss an NLCS game.
But just 24 hours later, that outlook changed. Freeman was not included in the lineup for Game 4.
Mendoza checked with Nimmo in the seventh inning of Game 3 to see if he was okay to finish the game, reassuring him that he could.
Even before that, Nemo's answer was unwavering.
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But the 31-year-old's recent efforts to stay in the lineup have coincided with a slump until Thursday's high-hit night.
Freeman's numbers have also declined, and Roberts noticed Freeman's pain getting worse on Wednesday.
After Game 3, he called his first baseman and told him about adjustments to the batting lineup.
And for the rest of the postseason, the Mets will be faced with the reality of having to make Nimmo-like decisions all the time — the risks and rewards, singles and missed pitches in the outfield, and the complexities of mid-game collisions. While weighing everything. The star player in the lineup is trying to battle an injury that won't get better soon.
