Jed Lowrie and Brandon Nimmo Closing in on Rehab Assignments

Brodie Van Wagenen spoke to reporters prior to Wednesday’s game against the Atlanta Braves and said that it is their “hope and expectation” that Jed Lowrie will play for the Mets this season and that he is getting close to a rehab assignment.

In addition to that, he said that Brandon Nimmo is within a few days of starting a rehab assignment.

Lowrie, 35, has been out all season and has yet to make his Mets’ debut after signing a two-year, $20 million contract this past offseason, dealing with a multitude of injury issues.

Van Wagenen says now, though, that Lowrie’s left-side injury has healed and that his right calf injury is doing better as well. Lowrie has been taking at-bats in simulated games and doing other baseball activities, with running and taking grounders being specifically mentioned.

The infielder was great for the Oakland Athletics in 2018, as he hit .267/.353/.448 with 23 home runs and 99 RBI over 157 games played. That gave him a 121 OPS+ and 4.8 bWAR.

Nimmo, 26, has been out since late May with a bulging cervical disk in his neck. In 43 games this season, Nimmo has hit .200/.344/.323 with three home runs and 14 RBI to give himself an 81 OPS+.

In addition to that, Van Wagenen said that Dominic Smith isn’t close to being reevaluated for the stress reaction in his left foot and that Jeff McNeil‘s left hamstring strain is “very low grade.”