The New York Mets went to the National League Championship Series last season. During that run, it was revealed that outfielder Brandon Nimmo was dealing with plantar fasciitis, a foot injury. He kept playing, helping the Mets beat the Milwaukee Brewers and Philadelphia Phillies before falling to the Los Angeles Dodgers. On Friday, Newsday's Tim Healey caught up with Nimmo at Mets camp and asked him about the injury.

“Nimmo said his left foot (plantar fasciitis) started feeling normal again within [the] past month,” Healey reported. “Offseason treatment included ‘a lot of PT,' shock therapy, ‘soft tissue stuff,' a PRP shot, strengthening. And he found new cleats. He plans to play games by early March (his norm).”

This is great news for the Mets, who saw Nimmo's production fall off as the playoffs continued and his foot got worse. Against the Phillies and Brewers, he hit .269 with four RBIs. In the six games against the Dodgers, he hit just .167 with two RBIs and six strikeouts. They will need his offense in the middle of the lineup to produce behind Juan Soto and Pete Alonso.

The Mets made the biggest addition of the offseason but Soto won't have a $765 million impact unless the depth pieces produce.

Brandon Nimmo is pivotal to the Mets' success

New York Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo (9) walks in the sixth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies during game three of the NLDS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Citi Field.
Brad Penner-Imagn Images
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All of the attention will go to the top three hitters in the Mets' lineup. Francisco Lindor had an MVP-caliber season after he was moved to lead off early in the season. Behind him will be Juan Soto, coming off a 40-homer season and the richest contract ever. And then, Pete Alonso follows up, looking to make the most out of his short-term contract.

But every baseball team succeeds because of their depth. The Mets saw that firsthand when Tommy Edman won the NLCS MVP, not Shohei Ohtani or Mookie Betts. Nimmo is part of that depth, along with utility man Jesse Winker, infielder Jeff McNeil, and third baseman Mark Vientos.

The good news for Nimmo is that he won't have to play as many innings in center field this year as he did in previous seasons. Jose Siri came in to be their centerfielder before the Mets even landed Soto. That should help his foot heal and take pressure off the injury long-term.

The place to watch Nimmo and his foot is on the basepaths. He stole 15 bases last year without getting caught, a career record at 31 years old. If he kicks off the season by stealing bags, fans can put the foot questions out of their minds. But if his running ability is hampered, it could cost the Mets.