In a vacuum, Jeff McNeil’s injury is “a minor hiccup,” as the second baseman put it -- an unfortunate case of a right oblique strain with two weeks to go until Opening Day. It should not sideline McNeil past mid-April.

Second baseman Jeff McNeil has a low-grade oblique strain and will miss the start of the regular season, manager Carlos Mendoza announced Thursday. McNeil will be shut down 7-10 days and the Mets expect him to miss 3-4 weeks overall.

New York Mets second baseman Jeff McNeil has been shut down with a minor oblique strain and ruled out for Opening Day. Manager Carlos Mendoza said Thursday there's a chance McNeil, who won the 2022 National League batting title,