Mets Notebook: Brandon Nimmo ‘fully’ plans to be ready for Opening Day amid recovery from plantar fasciitis

Brandon Nimmo is optimistic astir his betterment from plantar fasciitis, adjacent if the wounded remains thing helium has to contend with.

The Mets near fielder received an injection successful his ailing near ft aft past play and has been going to carnal therapy for it passim the winter.

“The biggest happening is being acceptable for Opening Day, and to that point, we’re conscionable gonna effort and spell arsenic accelerated arsenic the ft volition fto us,” Nimmo said past play astatine the Amazin’ Day instrumentality festival astatine Citi Field.

Nimmo, 31, began dealing with plantar fasciitis past May, past re-aggravated the wounded successful Game 3 of the NLDS, each of which helium revealed to The Athletic successful October. He played done the wounded successful the NLCS, which ended with Mets’ Game 6 nonaccomplishment to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Nimmo has been capable to deed and enactment retired without contented this offseason, helium said past weekend, but the wounded prevented him from sprinting.

“[I’m] successful the jogging progression now, and past hopefully that volition spell to the sprinting and we’ll beryllium capable to get close backmost into it,” helium said.

Plantar fasciitis is characterized by inflammation of the insubstantial that connects the bottommost bony to the toes on the bottommost of the foot. Nimmo believes his lawsuit stems from overuse.

Nimmo said helium does not expect to beryllium successful the Mets’ lineup for the archetypal fewer outpouring grooming games but “fully” plans to beryllium acceptable for Opening Day.

“It’s a case-to-case basis,” Nimmo said of betterment from plantar fasciitis. “It depends however your assemblage moves and wherever your accent points are, but for me, it’s going truly good close now, and we person a program going guardant to effort and mitigate it arsenic overmuch arsenic possible.

“Obviously, we can’t spot the future, but we’re trying to hole for it not to hap again alternatively than trying to beryllium reactive to it happening again.”

Nimmo acceptable a vocation precocious with 90 RBI past season, portion his 23 location runs were 1 shy of his idiosyncratic best. He slumped successful the 2nd half, however, hitting .190 with 7 location runs and a .596 OPS aft the All-Star break.

The nine-year seasoned stepped up during the Mets’ last homestand, signaling astatine slightest 1 RBI successful each of the past 5 games — and totaling 9 RBI implicit that agelong — successful the bosom of the Mets’ playoff push.

“There’s truly bully things to instrumentality from past twelvemonth and larn from, but I’ll ever support trying to improve,” Nimmo said. “Looking for much of the aforesaid of what I did successful the archetypal half, but trying to beryllium much consistent.”

ALVAREZ ASCENSION

Another Met seeking consistency is Francisco Alvarez.

The 23-year-old catcher deed .237 past season, up from .209 arsenic a rookie successful 2023. He dropped, however, from 25 location runs arsenic a rookie to 11 past year.

Alvarez suffered a ligament teardrop successful his near thumb successful April, which required country and outgo him astir 8 weeks, but helium does not judge the wounded was down his uneven season.

He struck retired successful astir 28% of his at-bats past twelvemonth and has made it a constituent this wintertime to amended his sheet discipline.

“I changed a batch of things,” Alvarez said astatine the instrumentality festival. “I’m going to person much sheet discipline, and I’m going to person amended numbers, too.”

YOUTH MOVEMENT

The Mets benefited past twelvemonth from the emergence of Mark Vientos, who, successful his age-24 season, broke retired with 27 location runs.

Could Luisangel Acuña beryllium next?

Acuña, 22, deed .308 with 3 location runs and a .966 OPS successful 40 MLB sheet appearances past September and filled successful admirably astatine shortstop arsenic Francisco Lindor nursed an injured back.

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said helium expects Acuña to person a “huge role” successful 2025.

“The young players are going to get opportunities. Luisangel volition get his,” Mendoza said. “He’s taking crushed balls astatine 3rd base, truthful he’s portion of that mix. He showed america helium tin play astatine this level, and helium volition proceed to get opportunities.”

The Mets would person a vacancy astatine 3rd basal if they did not re-sign Pete Alonso, who remains a escaped agent, and moved Vientos to archetypal base. Vientos and Brett Baty person been taking reps astatine archetypal base but stay successful the 3rd basal speech arsenic well.

The Mets acquired Acuña, the younger member of Atlanta Braves superstar Ronald Acuña Jr., successful the July 2023 commercialized that sent Max Scherzer to the Texas Rangers.