Although the New York Mets considered moving infielder Javier Baez (back) to third base once he and Francisco Lindor return from the injured list, they've ultimately decided to pair Baez and Lindor as the double-play combination up the middle, with Baez at the keystone. Jeff McNeil has been taking ground balls at the hot corner in preparation for the switch. The Mets were initially worried about how McNeil would handle third base, but it appears that keeping Baez and Lindor together up the middle is more important. With McNeil set to move to third soon, it will likely cut into the playing time of Jonathan Villar and J.D. Davis.

New York Mets second baseman Jeff McNeil went 1-for-5 with a double and run scored in the Mets 6-2 win over the San Francisco Giants in 12 innings on Wednesday. McNeil's double and run scored in the 12th inning was huge in helping the Mets win on Wednesday, but prior to the double in his final at-bat on the day, McNeil had just two hits over his prior 28 at-bats. McNeil is now slashing just .103/.161/.138 with no home runs and three RBI over his last 29 AB (over seven games). Hopefully, McNeil can build off of his 12th inning double and get his bat going. That said, for now, fantasy managers in deeper formats should hold McNeil out of lineups until he shows consistent signs of breaking out of this slump. Those fantasy managers in shallow redraft formats can likely cut ties with McNeil, especially considering his total lack of power in 2021 where he has only six home runs and just 29 RBI over 82 games.

New York Mets second baseman Jeff McNeil went 1-for-3 with two RBI in the Mets 6-5 loss to the Dodgers on Friday. For whatever reason, McNeil and Dominic Smith, two of the Mets most productive hitters, were held out of the starting lineup on Friday with Dodgers lefty Julio Urias on the mound. Eventually, both players made their way into the game and McNeil had three plate appearances. On the season, McNeil is batting .268/.344/.388 with six home runs, 28 RBI, and two stolen bases in 279 PA. McNeil should be back in the starting lineup on Saturday when the Mets face Walker Buehler in a tough matchup unless the Mets analytics department decides to run another inferior lineup of journeymen into the field behind starter Taijuan Walker.

New York Mets second baseman Jeff McNeil isn't starting on Friday. The Mets will take on the Los Angeles Dodgers and left-handed starter Julio Urias but will do so without one of their most productive hitters. McNeil is batting .267 with a .344 on-base percentage, six home runs, and two stolen bases in 276 plate appearances this season. Brandon Drury is batting third and starting in McNeil's place at second base. Drury could be worth a look for fantasy managers looking for a streaming option in deeper leagues. Drury has logged 74 plate appearances for the Mets this season and is batting .314 with a .351 on-base percentage and four home runs.

New York Mets second baseman Jeff McNeil is not in the starting lineup for Saturday's game against the Philadelphia Phillies. Jonathan Villar is getting the start at second base and batting sixth. Despite the fact that McNeil sat on Thursday so he could be fresh for all three critical games against the Phillies, manager Luis Rojas indicated he believes Villar matches up better against lefty Ranger Suarez. McNeil has been in a little bit of a slide over his last seven games, batting just .208/.296/.458 with one home run and one RBI over 24 at-bats. Perhaps the move is just a way to shake things up for a Mets team that is in a free fall offensively. McNeil should be back in the lineup for the Mets on Sunday when they conclude their three-game series against the Phillies and Zack Wheeler.

New York Mets second baseman Jeff McNeil is not in the starting lineup for Thursday's game against the Miami Marlins. Jonathan Villar is getting the start at second base and leading off in the game. McNeil has been producing well at the plate over the past two weeks. He has hit six doubles over his last 10 games, driving in eight runs over that stretch. He's slashing .274/.354/.403 over 69 games on the year. Expect to see him back in the lineup on Friday as the team travels to Philadelphia to take on the Phillies.

New York Mets second baseman Jeff McNeil had another strong all-around game Tuesday, going 1-for-2 with a double, a walk, a hit-by-pitch, and two runs scored. McNeil has been batting third in the lineup lately, and he's produced a .310/.375/.552 slash line with three homers, nine runs, and 11 RBI in his last 15 games. McNeil has not been offered outstanding power or speed with just six homers and two steals on the season, but he's a strong all-around producer who raises the floor of his major league and fantasy teams.

New York Mets second baseman Jeff McNeil provided all the offense for the Mets Sunday, going 1-for-4 with a solo home run against the Cincinnati Reds. It was his sixth homer of the season. McNeil has had a difficult season by his standards, slashing .275/.354/.402 in 214 at-bats, but he's really gotten it going of late. He had a 16-game hitting streak snapped Saturday afternoon, and he's slashed .357/.419/.607 with three home runs in his last 15 games. If fantasy managers have grown frustrated, it might be the right time to buy.

NEW YORK (AP) — Javier Báez got his wish: He's headed to New York to play with Francisco Lindor. But first, the Mets are counting on their big-name newcomer to replace his good buddy at shortstop for a while. With the trade deadline fast approaching Friday, the NL East leaders acquired Báez and pitcher Trevor Williams from the Chicago Cubs for outfield prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong. Báez, a two-time All-Star and 2020 Gold Glove winner, gives New York an immediate fill-in for Lindor. The star shortstop, obtained from Cleveland in a blockbuster deal last winter, is sidelined with a strained oblique and not expected back until at least mid-to-late August. “I’m super excited. I couldn’t be happier," Lindor said. "I can’t wait for him to come out here and put on a show for everybody.” The flashy Báez, who can become a free agent after the season, is batting .248 with 22 home runs and 65 RBIs. He has a .775 OPS and 13 stolen bases in 16 tries, but also leads the National League with 131 strikeouts.... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Javier Báez got his wish: He's headed to New York to play with Francisco Lindor. But first, the Mets are counting on their big-name newcomer to replace his good buddy at shortstop for a while. With the trade deadline fast approaching Friday, the Mets acquired Báez and pitcher Trevor Williams from the Chicago Cubs for outfield prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong. Báez, a two-time All-Star and 2020 Gold Glove winner, gives New York an immediate fill-in for Lindor. The star shortstop, obtained from Cleveland in a blockbuster deal last winter, is sidelined with a strained oblique and not expected back until at least mid-to-late August. “I’m super excited. I couldn’t be happier," Lindor said. "I can’t wait for him to come out here and put on a show for everybody.” Báez, who can become a free agent after the season, is batting .248 with 22 home runs and 65 RBIs. He has a .775 OPS and 13 stolen bases in 16 tries, but also leads the National League with 131 strikeouts. He's made 18 errors... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Javier Báez got his wish: He's headed to New York to play with longtime pal Francisco Lindor. But first, the Mets are counting on their big-name newcomer to hold down the fort at shortstop for a while. With the trade deadline fast approaching Friday, the Mets acquired Báez and pitcher Trevor Williams from the Chicago Cubs for outfield prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong. Báez, a two-time All-Star and 2020 Gold Glove winner, gives New York an immediate fill-in for Lindor. The star shortstop, obtained from Cleveland in a blockbuster deal last winter, is sidelined with a strained oblique and not expected back until at least mid-to-late August. Báez, who can become a free agent after the season, is batting .248 with 22 home runs and 65 RBIs. He has a .775 OPS and 13 stolen bases in 16 tries, but also leads the National League with 131 strikeouts. He has made 18 errors in 88 games. “We think he adds a lot — brings a ton of energy to our team," Mets acting general manager Zack Scott... [More]

New York Mets second baseman Jeff McNeil went 2-for-4 with an RBI in the Mets 2-1 win over the Braves on Wednesday. McNeil has now hit safely in 15 consecutive games, posting a .373/.439/.569 slash line with two home runs and 11 RBI over that time frame. His 15-game hitting streak is currently the longest active streak in MLB. As reported previously, although McNeil only has five home runs on the season, his overall hard-hit rate and exit velocity on FB/LD suggest further positive regression in the power department. Fantasy managers should continue to deploy McNeil in all formats.

NEW YORK (AP) — Austin Riley hit a grand slam and a two-run homer to set a career high with six RBIs, powering the Atlanta Braves to a 12-5 rout of the New York Mets on Tuesday night. Ozzie Albies and Abraham Almonte also had two-run homers for the Braves, who have won two of the first three in a five-game series as they chase the first-place Mets in the NL East. Dansby Swanson delivered a two-run double in the first inning to get Atlanta started. Charlie Morton (10-3) allowed three runs and five hits with five strikeouts over five innings. Mets spot starter Jerad Eickhoff (0-2) gave up 10 runs on seven hits and five walks in 3 1/3 innings. Jeff McNeil and Brandon Drury each hit a two-run homer for the Mets after they trailed 10-1 in the fourth. GIANTS 2, DODGERS 1 SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Buster Posey scored the tiebreaking run on a throwing error by first baseman Cody Bellinger in the eighth inning, and San Francisco beat Los Angeles, increasing its lead over the Dodgers in the NL West to... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Austin Riley hit a grand slam and a two-run homer to set a career high with six RBIs, powering the Atlanta Braves to a 12-5 rout of the New York Mets on Tuesday night. Ozzie Albies and Abraham Almonte also had two-run homers for the Braves, who have won two of the first three in a five-game series as they chase the first-place Mets in the NL East. Dansby Swanson delivered a two-run double in the first inning to get Atlanta started. Charlie Morton (10-3) allowed three runs and five hits with five strikeouts over five innings. Mets spot starter Jerad Eickhoff (0-2) gave up 10 runs on seven hits and five walks in 3 1/3 innings. Jeff McNeil and Brandon Drury each hit a two-run homer for the Mets after they trailed 10-1 in the fourth. GIANTS 2, DODGERS 1 SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Buster Posey scored the tiebreaking run on a throwing error by first baseman Cody Bellinger in the eighth inning, and San Francisco beat Los Angeles, increasing its lead over the Dodgers in the NL West to... [More]

New York Mets second baseman collected two more hits Tuesday, going 2-for-5 with a two-run home run and a double against the Atlanta Braves. That extends his hitting streak to 14 games, and gives him 100 multi-hit games in the first 310 games of his career. McNeil is simply a hitting machine, with a .373/.439/.569 slash line in his last 15 games. His .740 OPS on the year is not representative of his value, and fantasy managers can rely on him going forward, especially since he's been regularly batting in the third spot in the lineup.

NEW YORK (AP) — Austin Riley hit a grand slam and a two-run homer to set a career high with six RBIs, powering the Atlanta Braves to a 12-5 rout of the New York Mets on Tuesday night. Ozzie Albies and Abraham Almonte also had two-run homers for the Braves, who have won two of the first three in a five-game series as they chase the first-place Mets in the NL East. Dansby Swanson delivered a two-run double in the first inning to get Atlanta started. Charlie Morton (10-3) allowed three runs and five hits with five strikeouts over five innings. Mets spot starter Jerad Eickhoff (0-2) gave up 10 runs on seven hits and five walks in 3 1/3 innings. Jeff McNeil and Brandon Drury each hit a two-run homer for the Mets after they trailed 10-1 in the fourth. NATIONALS 6, PHILLIES 4 PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Trea Turner singled in the first inning and scored on Josh Bell’s three-run homer that put Washington ahead to stay, but was then pulled from the victory over Philadelphia because of a positive COVID-19... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Austin Riley hit a grand slam and a two-run homer to set a career high with six RBIs, powering the Atlanta Braves to a 12-5 rout of the New York Mets on Tuesday night. Ozzie Albies and Abraham Almonte also had two-run homers for the Braves, who have won two of the first three in a five-game series as they chase the first-place Mets in the NL East. Dansby Swanson delivered a two-run double in the first inning to get Atlanta started. Charlie Morton (10-3) allowed three runs and five hits with five strikeouts over five innings. Mets spot starter Jerad Eickhoff (0-2) gave up 10 runs on seven hits and five walks in 3 1/3 innings. Jeff McNeil and Brandon Drury each hit a two-run homer for the Mets after they trailed 10-1 in the fourth. NATIONALS 6, PHILLIES 4 PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Trea Turner singled in the first inning and scored on Josh Bell’s three-run homer that put Washington ahead to stay, but was then pulled from the victory over Philadelphia because of a positive COVID-19... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Austin Riley hit a grand slam and a two-run homer to set a career high with six RBIs, powering the Atlanta Braves to a 12-5 rout of the New York Mets on Tuesday night. Ozzie Albies and Abraham Almonte also had two-run homers for the Braves, who have won two of the first three in a five-game series as they chase the first-place Mets in the NL East. Dansby Swanson delivered a two-run double in the first inning to get Atlanta started. Charlie Morton (10-3) allowed three runs and five hits with five strikeouts over five innings. Mets spot starter Jerad Eickhoff (0-2) gave up 10 runs on seven hits and five walks in 3 1/3 innings. Jeff McNeil and Brandon Drury each hit a two-run homer for the Mets after they trailed 10-1 in the fourth. NATIONALS 6, PHILLIES 4 PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Trea Turner singled in the first inning and scored on Josh Bell’s three-run homer that put Washington ahead to stay, but was then pulled from the victory over Philadelphia because of a positive COVID-19... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Austin Riley hit a grand slam and a two-run homer to set a career high with six RBIs, powering the Atlanta Braves to a 12-5 rout of the New York Mets on Tuesday night. Ozzie Albies and Abraham Almonte also had two-run homers for the Braves, who have won two of the first three in a five-game series as they chase the first-place Mets in the NL East. Dansby Swanson delivered a two-run double in the first inning to get Atlanta started. Charlie Morton (10-3) allowed three runs and five hits with five strikeouts over five innings. Mets spot starter Jerad Eickhoff (0-2) gave up 10 runs on seven hits and five walks in 3 1/3 innings. Jeff McNeil and Brandon Drury each hit a two-run homer for the Mets after they trailed 10-1 in the fourth. CARDINALS 4, INDIANS 2 CLEVELAND (AP) — Adam Wainwright won in his first appearance at Progressive Field, Paul DeJong hit a go-ahead homer and St. Louis beat Cleveland. DeJong’s two-out, two-run drive in the seventh inning off Bryan Shaw (3-5) put... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — Alex Verdugo hit a two-run homer in the eighth inning and the AL East-leading Boston Red Sox rallied late for the second straight game, beating Toronto 5-4 on Monday night in the opener of an important series for the Blue Jays. Boston star Rafael Devers added a solo homer on the four-year anniversary of his first major-league shot. Bo Bichette hit a two-run homer for fourth-place Toronto, which fell to 10½ games behind in the East. Adam Ottavino (3-3) worked a scoreless inning for the win. Matt Barnes got the final three outs for his 22nd save. Toronto starter Thomas Hatch made just his second big-league start after being sidelined with a shoulder impingement since spring training. The 26-year-old right-hander gave up three runs on seven hits in 3 2/3 innings. Trevor Richards (1-1) took the loss. ANGELS 6, ROCKIES 2 ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Shohei Ohtani pitched seven strong innings and hit an early RBI single as Los Angeles beat Colorado. Ohtani (5-1) gave up one run and five... [More]