Mets' Brandon Nimmo reveals nerve issue in finger has hampered return

MIAMI — The weird saga of Brandon Nimmo’s finger injury got a little weirder Saturday when he revealed that a nerve issue — not just the bone bruise — is what has kept him out for three weeks and counting.

He called it a "pesky little nerve" that runs along his left index finger. The irritation is worsened when his hand is swollen, which has happened repeatedly in the past month.

"I feel like we're pretty close to getting things going again and so, right now, I'm feeling a whole lot better than I was a week ago," he said. "Very optimistic about the way things are heading right now."

For now, Nimmo is not swinging. The Mets are waiting for him to be completely pain free before starting that progression. He said he is "pretty close" to picking up a bat again.

"The encouraging part is that it does feel a whole lot better than even when I first started to come back," he said. "Only thing is we're trying to be cautious right now because we do not want what happened last time to happen again."

"Last time" was a May 13 rehab game with Triple-A Syracuse, when he aggravated an injury initially sustained April 30 in Philadelphia.

What Nimmo thought would cause him to miss a couple of days is looking more like upwards of a month.

"That very first game, it happened again, I was very distraught because it meant a step backwards and now it’s more time," he said.

Heartbreaker for Hager

As part of another batch of transactions Saturday, the Mets designated utility man Jake Hager for assignment, less than 24 hours after his first major-league hit during the game-winning rally in the 12th inning Friday.

Hager, 28, debuted last weekend after nearly a decade in the minors.

"It was really tough," manager Luis Rojas said of the conversation with Hager. "I did tell him that this is something that can happen and he should not put his head down. He got himself here. He's one of our best hitters in Syracuse, right? So just keep working hard, keep looking forward and I pray that he's with us and he meets us again down the road."

The Mets needed to clear a 40-man spot because reliever Stephen Tarpley returned from the COVID-19 injured list. He remains with Syracuse.

That created an opening on the active roster. The Mets filled it with righthander Jordan Yamamoto.

Extra bases

Carlos Carrasco (torn right hamstring) said he still is not throwing off the mound, just playing catch. That means he is at least weeks away from a return . . . Jose Peraza (tight right calf) was out of the lineup a day after getting hit by a pitch . . . Rojas said Albert Almora Jr. (left shoulder contusion) still is "week to week" and playing catch but not swinging . . . Among Mets recently designated for assignment, lefthander Daniel Zamora was claimed by the Mariners and catcher Deivy Grullon was claimed by the Rays. The Rays had lost him to the Mets on waivers in late April.