Harrison

Bader

Bader broke a scoreless game in the sixth with a leadoff home run off Sam Moll for his only hit of the game. The 30-year-old outfielder is up to 11 homers while slashing .243/.288/.384 with 52 runs scored, 47 RBI, and 15 steals across 392 plate appearances.

Bader’s only hit of the day left the yard as he took Eduardo Rodríguez deep for a two-run homer in the fifth inning to tie the game. The 30-year-old outfielder is up to 10 homers while slashing .251/.299/.390 with 51 runs scored, 44 RBI, and 15 steals across 375 plate appearances.

Even though Nimmo is out of the lineup due to a virus, we also need to acknowledge that he has come out of the gates slow in the second half, hitting .140 with no home runs and 30 strikeouts in 23 games. Harrison Bader will start in center field on Thursday with Jeff McNeil sliding to right field so that Jose Iglesias can enter the lineup at second base. As far as Nimmo is concerned, he needs to start hitting again soon because Starling Marte is nearing a return from his rehab assignment, and that outfield is going to get a bit more crowded.

Bader rolled his ankle earlier in the week against the Yankees, and the 30-year-old will remain out of action for Sunday’s finale against Atlanta. The outfielder is still considered day-to-day. Ben Gamel gets the start in the outfield with Bader unavailable.

Bader will sit out his fourth straight contest on Saturday after rolling his right ankle attempting to steal a base earlier this week against the Yankees. Additional imaging came back negative for any fractures or structural damage, so we’re assuming the 30-year-old center fielder remains day-to-day for now.

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza told reporters Bader’s right ankle is better on Thursday and that his availability will be a true game-time decision. The dynamic center fielder rolled his ankle when he was thrown out attempting to steal third base earlier this week on Tuesday night against the Yankees. It doesn’t sound like a serious concern since an MRI didn’t reveal any structural damage.

Mets’ manager Carlos Mendoza told reporters that Bader rolled his ankle while attempting a stolen base during Tuesday’s game. He underwent precautionary X-rays that came back negative for any fractures, and while he’s currently sporting a walking boot, he’s not expected to miss any substantial time. He’s considered day-to-day.

Iglesias had a day off on Thursday but will be back in the lineup with Jeff McNeil shifting back to right field, Tyrone Taylor in center field and both Dj Stewart and Harrison Bader on the bench. Iglesias has been tremendous since being called up on May 31st and is a career .281 hitter, so his solid batting average should not be treated as a fluke. If you need batting average with the chance for solid counting stats in a good lineup, Iglesias could fill that need.

The 30-year-old outfielder sat out each of the team’s last two games with soreness in his neck that he suffered when he crashed into the outfield wall on Tuesday. Unfortunately, his reward for returning on Friday is a tough matchup against rookie phenom Paul Skenes. Bader will start in center field and bat ninth for the Mets on Friday evening in Pittsburgh.

Bader was pulled from Tuesday’s game as a precautionary measure after he crashed awkwardly into the wall in right-center field. He’s going to test things out pregame on Wednesday to determine whether or not he’ll be available off of the bench. He should still be considered day-to-day.