New York Mets second baseman Jeff McNeil is reportedly dealing with an injury, Tim Healey of Newsday Sports reports. Mets manager Carlos Mendoza revealed that McNeil is battling left bicep soreness. He is still working in the infield but will be shut down from hitting “for a few days.”

“The Mets will reassess Tuesday. They haven’t got an MRI on it yet because they don’t think it’s serious enough for that,” Healey wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

The injury does not seem to be too alarming. New York will proceed without caution nonetheless. There is no reason to risk further injury by having McNeil return too soon in spring training.

McNeil, 31, is a two-time All-Star. He won the National League batting title in 2022 after recording a superb .326 batting average. Although his 2023 campaign was not quite as impressive, McNeil still posted respectable numbers.

The Mets infielder finished 2023 with a .270/.333/.378/.711 slash line. He added 10 home runs, 25 doubles, and 10 stolen bases across 156 games played. McNeil dealt with an injury at the end of the 2023 season but it ended up not impacting his 2024 spring training availability.

Mets preparing for uncertain 2024 season

New York expected to compete in 2023 but fell short of their goals. They could make a playoff run in 2024, but it appears more likely that the Mets will compete in 2025.

2024 is going to be an uncertain season for this team, though. The Mets aren't bad, and again, they could surprise some people in the National League. With that being said, it would not be shocking to see them miss the postseason.

New York may look to trade some of their better players at the deadline if they are out of contention. Pete Alonso, who will enter free agency after the season, is a star who could potentially be moved if a contract extension fails to come to fruition.

McNeil may also be discussed in trade talks. However, he is under control until 2027 (team option in 2027). At the moment, McNeil is focused on returning to full health as spring training continues.