Brandon Nimmo is optimistic about his recovery from plantar fasciitis, even if the injury remains something he has to contend with.
The Mets left fielder received an injection in his ailing left foot after last season and has been going to physical therapy for it throughout the winter.
“The biggest thing is being ready for Opening Day, and to that point, we’re just gonna try and go as fast as the foot will let us,” Nimmo said last weekend at the Amazin’ Day fan festival at Citi Field.
Nimmo, 31, began dealing with plantar fasciitis last May, then re-aggravated the injury in Game 3 of the NLDS, all of which he revealed to The Athletic in October. He played through the injury in the NLCS, which ended with Mets’ Game 6 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Nimmo has been able to hit and work out without issue this offseason, he said last weekend, but the injury prevented him from sprinting.
“[I’m] in the jogging progression now, and then hopefully that will go to the sprinting and we’ll be able to get right back into it,” he said.
Plantar fasciitis is characterized by inflammation of the tissue that connects the heel bone to the toes along the bottom of the foot. Nimmo believes his case stems from overuse.
Nimmo said he does not expect to be in the Mets’ lineup for the first few spring training games but “fully” plans to be ready for Opening Day.
“It’s a case-to-case basis,” Nimmo said of recovery from plantar fasciitis. “It depends how your body moves and where your stress points are, but for me, it’s going really well right now, and we have a plan going forward to try and mitigate it as much as possible.
“Obviously, we can’t see the future, but we’re trying to prepare for it not to happen again rather than trying to be reactive to it happening again.”
Nimmo set a career high with 90 RBI last season, while his 23 home runs were one shy of his personal best. He slumped in the second half, however, hitting .190 with seven home runs and a .596 OPS after the All-Star break.
The nine-year veteran stepped up during the Mets’ final homestand, recording at least one RBI in each of the last five games — and totaling nine RBI over that stretch — in the heart of the Mets’ playoff push.
“There’s really good things to take from last year and learn from, but I’ll always keep trying to improve,” Nimmo said. “Looking for more of the same of what I did in the first half, but trying to be more consistent.”
ALVAREZ ASCENSION
Another Met seeking consistency is Francisco Alvarez.
The 23-year-old catcher hit .237 last season, up from .209 as a rookie in 2023. He dropped, however, from 25 home runs as a rookie to 11 last year.
Alvarez suffered a ligament tear in his left thumb in April, which required surgery and cost him nearly eight weeks, but he does not believe the injury was behind his uneven season.
He struck out in nearly 28% of his at-bats last year and has made it a point this winter to improve his plate discipline.
“I changed a lot of things,” Alvarez said at the fan festival. “I’m going to have more plate discipline, and I’m going to have better numbers, too.”
YOUTH MOVEMENT
The Mets benefited last year from the emergence of Mark Vientos, who, in his age-24 season, broke out with 27 home runs.
Could Luisangel Acuña be next?
Acuña, 22, hit .308 with three home runs and a .966 OPS in 40 MLB plate appearances last September and filled in admirably at shortstop as Francisco Lindor nursed an injured back.
Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said he expects Acuña to have a “huge role” in 2025.
“The young players are going to get opportunities. Luisangel will get his,” Mendoza said. “He’s taking ground balls at third base, so he’s part of that mix. He showed us he can play at this level, and he will continue to get opportunities.”
The Mets would have a vacancy at third base if they did not re-sign Pete Alonso, who remains a free agent, and moved Vientos to first base. Vientos and Brett Baty have been taking reps at first base but remain in the third base conversation as well.
The Mets acquired Acuña, the younger brother of Atlanta Braves superstar Ronald Acuña Jr., in the July 2023 trade that sent Max Scherzer to the Texas Rangers.
