Jeff McNeil DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

New York Mets second baseman Jeff McNeil (oblique) will remain with Single-A St. Lucie on his minor-league rehab assignment from a strained right oblique until Thursday before heading to Triple-A Syracuse, according to manager Carlos Mendoza. If McNeil doesn't suffer a setback with his oblique over the weekend at Syracuse, he should come off the 10-day injured list at some point next week to make his season debut. In his first two rehab starts with St. Lucie, the 33-year-old former batting champion went 2-for-5 with a walk and a run scored. When he's back in New York with the Mets, McNeil is expected to take over primary duties at second base in Queens. Until then, Brett Baty and Luisangel Acuna have been platooning at the keystone. Since winning a batting title in 2022, McNeil has mostly been an empty batting average contributor in fantasy.

New York Mets second baseman Jeff McNeil (oblique) is starting his minor-league rehab assignment on Friday at Single-A St. Lucie and is batting leadoff. Catcher Francisco Alvarez (hand), who started his rehab assignment on Wednesday with St. Lucie, is batting in the two-hole. Barring setbacks, both McNeil and Alvarez could come off the injured list to make their season debuts at some point next week for the Mets. The 33-year-old McNeil has been out of action since suffering a strained right oblique in spring training, but when healthy, he figures to be New York's primary starter at the keystone. In his absence, the Mets have been using a platoon with Brett Baty and Luisangel Acuna. McNeil, a former batting champion in 2022, hit a career-worst .238 last year and never had much power to begin with, giving him a low floor and ceiling in fantasy if he's unable to rebound.

New York Mets second baseman Jeff McNeil (oblique) is taking batting practice on the field on Tuesday at Citi Field before the game against the Miami Marlins for the first time since his injury, according to MLB.com's Anthony DiComo. The Athletic's Will Sammon is reporting that McNeil is scheduled to begin a minor-league rehab assignment with Single-A St. Lucie later this week. Barring a setback as the former batting champion ramps up, he could be able to make his 2025 debut before the end of April. When he's activated from the 10-day injured list, McNeil is expected to reclaim his role as the team's starting second baseman, which will push both Brett Baty and Luisangel Acuna into bench roles. With McNeil starting the year on the IL, Baty and Acuna have been involved in a platoon in New York at the keystone.