Mets willing to gamble more on offense -- such as a bases-loaded bunt -- with time running out
Jeff McNeil of the Mets follows through on his third-inning RBI bunt single against the Yankees at Citi Field on Friday. Credit: Jim McIsaac
The Mets are getting desperate, and maybe that isn’t such a bad thing.
With their playoff chances increasingly smaller, manager Luis Rojas is OK with trying new things, such as the bases-loaded bunt single Jeff McNeil dropped down Friday night against the Yankees. Force the defense to make a play, keep the lineup moving and — in McNeil’s case — drive in a run.
"If you’re feeling it, I’m all in about being aggressive and using the element of surprise in some situations to score some runs," Rojas said Saturday. "If you have it and they give it to you and you have the touch to do it, yeah, that’s OK. That can be part of the game."
The Mets have struggled to score this season, in some cases because they struggle in situations such as McNeil’s, with the bases loaded and nobody out. For example, they were second-to-last in the major leagues with 20 sacrifice flies entering play Saturday.
McNeil’s move came with no outs during a five-run third inning. He dragged a bunt past pitcher Jordan Montgomery to the right side of the infield. The Yankees did not record an out.
Rojas wouldn’t mind seeing more of that, especially if it means scoring more runs.
"The funny thing is," he said, "he talks to me all the time about bunting in situations that are unorthodox."
Updates on Joses
Jose Martinez and Jose Peraza are in rehab-assignment purgatory with Triple-A Syracuse.
Martinez was out of the lineup Saturday after exiting Friday’s game early due to hip tightness, Rojas said. Originally recovering from surgery for a torn meniscus in his left knee, Martinez also encountered a hyperextended shoulder last month, setting him back several days. He has slashed .232/.328/.429 in in 19 minor-league games this season.
Peraza (fractured right middle finger) has been playing centerfield. Mostly an infielder, he has dabbled in the outfield before, including 21 major-league games in center.
The Mets decided to push Peraza’s versatility in part because Brandon Nimmo strained his right hamstring, though it seems Nimmo will be back in a week or so.
"We want to give him some exposure there," Rojas said of Peraza. "When we feel comfortable with him spending some time in the outfield, we can think of what move would make sense to bring [Peraza] back."
Extra bases
Tomas Nido (sprained left thumb) started a rehab assignment with Syracuse on Saturday. The Mets do not expect him to be out much longer, but they wanted him to test his thumb in the minors because when he returned from that injury in late August he wound up back on the injured list . . . Corey Oswalt (right knee inflammation) tossed a scoreless inning for Low-A St. Lucie, his first appearance at any level since July 4 . . . After taking a couple of turns in the rotation, Trevor Williams is back to being a long reliever.
