As Brandon Nimmo and the Mets search for the reason behind his extended hitting slump, Carlos Mendoza has looked to a troubling similarity to Anthony Rizzo’s last season with the Yankees in an attempt to rule out the possibility of a head injury for the struggling outfielder.
Nimmo noted Friday that the slump has “essentially occurred over the same period” since he was hit in the head by a pitch against the Giants on May 24, and acknowledged he has undergone further concussion testing in recent days.
Nimmo stressed he hasn’t shown any concussion symptoms since passing the initial test that night, but he continues to undergo testing for head injuries after Mendoza told him about what Rizzo experienced with the Yankees last season.
The first baseman continued to play after suffering what the Yankees initially described as a neck injury in May, but was eventually sidelined in August with post-concussion syndrome after a lengthy hitting slump.
“I’ve been tested, and we’re going to get some more testing because Mendy went through the same thing last year and he understands,” Nimmo told The Post before batting second against the Padres on Friday. “So, we’ll get some more testing. But I don’t have any symptoms. I’m not feeling foggy, I’m not having trouble sleeping, I’m not sensitive to light.”
“As far as I know, I’m OK, but the team is certainly monitoring it. They’re trying to do the right thing with me and make sure I continue to meet all the requirements, so I’ll continue to take whatever they want from me and make sure nothing happens. I don’t think it’s an excuse, but it’s definitely weird that it has to do with the hit to the head.”
Nimmo is batting .210 with a .559 OPS and 27 strikeouts in 62 at-bats entering Friday’s series opener since pitching for San Francisco’s Kyle Harrison three weeks ago, and he has 10 strikeouts in his past four starts.
Nimmo said if the struggles continue, he would consider signing Rizzo, who struggled with injuries last season and hit just .172 with one home run in 169 at-bats.
“I haven’t done it yet, but maybe one day I’ll try it. I’ll continue to test it and maybe I’ll have to talk to Rizzo and see what he thinks.” [went through]”To my knowledge, that’s not what this is about and I don’t want to make an excuse for it, but it’s odd that it’s linked to the timing,” Nimmo said.
“If these tests show we need to be concerned then we’ll deal with it then. Right now we’re just trying to figure out what’s going to work. It’s a strange time. I’ve never had a back-to-back flurry like this for such a long time.”
Nimmo also said he thinks his slump is “a little bit subconscious, a little bit timid and I don’t know it.”
He also had an illness that slowed him down in early May and believes some minor injuries “snowballed into a bigger impact” on his swing than any concussion concerns.
“We want to make sure we meet all the requirements, so I keep checking with him, the trainers keep checking with him, we keep making sure he goes through all the protocols and meets the requirements, and we’ll continue to do that,” Mendoza told The Post. “After Rizzo got injured, he kept saying he was OK.
“Then after a few weeks or months, he came in and said, ‘I’m taking a break.’ [a concussion]”So we’re keeping it under control with Nemo. But he keeps saying he’s OK.”
Meanwhile, the $162 million annual salary outfielder will be trying to figure out how to revitalize his offensive play.
“You’re throwing stuff at the wall to see what sticks,” Nimmo said. “This is completely unacceptable and I’m frustrated by it. It’s not up to my standards, but this is part of baseball and all I can control is continue to work every day and do what I can.”
“It’s like the old Yogi Berra quote about not being able to think and hit at the same time. It’s true, but that’s where we are. We know it’s really bad and we’re trying our best to get better, but unfortunately sometimes it doesn’t happen overnight.”
