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.

New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said that infielder Jeff McNeil (oblique) has been hitting off a pitching machine in the batting cages. McNeil was forced to open the 2025 regular season on the injured list due to a right-oblique strain that he suffered in spring training. The 32-year-old veteran and former batting champion is working his way back, though, and may be able to make his season debut before the end of April, barring a setback once he begins a minor-league rehab assignment. In the meantime, Brett Baty and Luisangel Acuna will continue their platoon at the keystone, with Baty facing right-handers and Acuna in there against lefties. McNeil has middling power and speed and didn't look anything like a former batting champion the last couple of years. At best, he's a middle-infield option without much upside in deep-mixed leagues when he's healthy.

New York Mets second baseman Jeff McNeil (oblique) suffered a low-grade oblique strain and will not participate in baseball activities for the next 7-to-10 days. In addition, manager Carlos Mendoza noted that McNeil could be sidelined for 3-to-4 weeks. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status but given this report, he will likely miss the start of the season. He may also be placed on the injured list if he were to miss several weeks of action. Last season, McNeil held a .238/.308/.384 line across 129 games. He tallied 26 doubles and swiped five bags. The 32-year-old won the NL batting title in 2022 with a .326 AVG. As a result, fantasy managers should expect Luisangel Acuna to likely operate as the team's starting second baseman at the start of the regular season. Donovan Wilson and Brett Baty could also be in the mix for opportunities.