Perhaps this explains all the outfield moves the Mets have been making. Brandon Nimmo confirmed he has a bulging disk in his neck and is suffering from whiplash relating to a catch he made against the outfield fence in April.
“I just got to get it under control and get the inflammation down,” he said after the Mets’ 5-4, 13-inning win over the Tigers on Saturday. “Basically, let it rest so it’s not irritated anymore. People also confused bulging disk with a herniated disk. That’s where it’s chronic. This one is not. This just needs rest.”
The Mets have been vague about the injury that sent Nimmo to the injured list Wednesday, first describing it as a stiff neck, then saying it was inflammation. They declined to offer any further details on its prognosis and have not set a timetable for Nimmo’s return.
The injury occurred April 14 in Atlanta, when Nimmo ran into the outfield wall while making a catch. Two games later, the pain forced him out of a game against the Phillies, and he missed two further games before returning. But the pain never went away, and it got to the point at which Nimmo couldn’t turn his neck to the right. He received a steroid shot Wednesday, which has reduced some of the inflammation.
Nimmo didn’t blame the neck for his struggles at the plate this year, where he has a slash line of .200/.344/.323 following a breakout season last year. With Nimmo out, the Mets recently signed veterans Matt Kemp and Aaron Altherr to provide outfield depth.