New York Mets DVOA, Stats, & MLB Rankings

According to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com, New York Mets right-handed pitcher Jose Butto (groin) is dealing with a minor groin injury. Butto has been unable to pitch in Grapefruit League games over the past week. However, he did throw a bullpen session earlier on Friday, which is a positive sign. DiComo noted that the team does not view this as a major injury. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status but it appears he will not be in danger of missing Opening Day. Last season in Queens, Butto logged 74 innings with a 2.55 ERA and a strong 1.07 WHIP. He tallied 79 strikeouts and held a high 12.3 percent walk rate. He was deployed primarily out of the bullpen but did make seven starts. When healthy, fantasy managers should expect Butto to have a similar role in 2025.

New York Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo (knee) is expected to be ready in time to play on Opening Day. The veteran outfielder has been dealing with a lingering knee issue, but recently received a gel injection, which appears to be helping him. Nimmo believes he'll be ready to play designated hitter, but is unsure if he's ready for the outfield yet. Nimmo continued by saying he still feels soreness in his knee and is about 80 percent healthy right now. Fantasy managers should expect to have Nimmo as part of their lineup on Opening Day, but should check back in case of a setback.

New York Mets infielder Brett Baty is projected to open the year at second base while batting eighth, according to MLB.com's Anthony DiComo. Regular second baseman Jeff McNeil (oblique) is being shut down for seven to 10 days and is likely to open the year on the injured list, which could open the door for Baty to get regular playing time at the keystone in Queens. The 25-year-old started 27 games at second last year at Triple-A Syracuse, although he's never played the position in the big leagues. Another scenario would include both Baty and Luisangel Acuna splitting second base duties until McNeil is healed up. Baty, one of the team's former top prospects, hasn't panned out yet, although he did see some progress with a lowered strikeout rate in his limited playing time in 2024. When everyone is healthy in New York, Baty will find it hard to see the field regularly.

New York Mets left-hander Sean Manaea (oblique) resumed throwing two days ago, according to manager Carlos Mendoza. Manaea's follow-up MRI exam came back clean, so he's essentially re-starting his spring training program after being shut down with a strained right oblique earlier in camp. It means that the 33-year-old veteran southpaw is right on schedule. He still has a ways to go as he builds his arm up for a starter's workload, but barring a setback, he could be ready to rejoin the Mets' rotation at some point in April. Nobody really expected much from Manaea in Queens in 2024, but he pitched very well thanks to a lowered arm slot and threw more strikes, too, finishing 12-6 with a 3.47 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 184:63 K:BB in 181 2/3 regular-season innings over 32 starts. It remains to be seen if he can repeat that success in 2025, but he's at least a little cheaper now that he'll begin the year on the injured list.

New York Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo (knee) is serving as the designated hitter and is in the two-hole for Thursday's Grapefruit League contest versus the Boston Red Sox. Nimmo appears to be past his plantar-fasciitis issues from last year, but he was brought along slowly early in camp and then dealt with right-knee soreness. As a result, this is the 31-year-old veteran's second spring training game. Nimmo still has several weeks to get ready for Opening Day and has time to work his way back onto the field in the outfield. The former first-rounder has dealt with his fair share of injuries in recent seasons, but he's remarkably still managed to play in at least 151 games in each of the last three years. He also had career-highs in home runs (23), RBI (90) and steals (15) while scoring 88 runs in 2024. The injuries are a bit worrisome, but Nimmo is still a top-50 fantasy outfielder in this lineup.