The injuries continue to pile up in Port St. Lucie, but the Mets are still content with their depth. Jeff McNeil will miss Opening Day with a right oblique strain, manager Carlos Mendoza told reporters Thursday at Clover Park. The second baseman/outfielder will be shut down for the next 7-10 days an d will then have to continue his spring progression, which sets a timeline for a return at 3-4 weeks. After playing in Monday’s Grapefruit League game against the St. Louis Cardinals, McNeil complained of soreness. The Mets had him rest for a day, but the soreness remained and he underwent imaging. McNeil is the fourth player on the Major League roster to suffer an injury this spring, and the fifth overall with utility infielder Nick Madrigal out for the season. The Mets have also lost starting pitchers Frankie Montas and Sean Manaea, and catcher Francisco Alvarez. “You hate to see it, but nobody is going to feel sorry for us,” Mendoza said. “We’ve got to keep going.” McNeil was set to be the club’s starting second baseman. At the start of camp, the Mets were planning on using Madrigal as a utility infielder, but acknowledged that the competition for the role was somewhat open. Brett Baty, Luisangel Acuña, Donnie Walton and Luis De Los Santos were competing for one spot, but now there is another open. “At the beginning of camp, we kept talking about our depth. Now, we are being tested way before we get to Opening Day,” Mendoza said. “That’s part of it. We know we have a good team, not only because of the regulars but just the depth.” McNeil, 32, was in the midst of a strong month at the plate, hitting .316 with three doubles, two walks and an .855 OPS in seven Grapefruit League games. The 2022 NL batting champ missed the end of last season with a fractured wrist and the end of the 2023 season with an elbow injury. Baty will get more games at second base over the remaining days of camp. The third baseman was sent to the minor leagues to learn the position last year and spent the offseason working on middle infield fundamentals. Walton, De Los Santos and Acuña have all played shortstop, while Baty has not. The Mets could decide to carry Baty as their second baseman, and take either Walton, De Los Santos or Acuña as a late-game infield replacement. Baty reached base twice in the Mets’ 3-2 Grapefruit League loss to the Boston Red Sox on Thursday, going 1-for-2 with a walk. His spring OPS is up to 1.110, and an improved bat should help bolster his cause. The 25-year-old made an error at third on a hard-hit ball, but also made a few nice defensive plays. Baty will be back in the lineup Friday at second base. The Mets have gauged the trade market for both Baty and McNeil, the latter of whom has two years left on his contract with a club option for 2027. However, there is a belief that Baty can still be productive if he finds a place to play. A first-round draft pick in 2019, Baty came up as a third baseman and has been focusing on third this spring, but also getting into a few games at second base and taking middle infield drills during workouts. GRAPEFRUIT LEAGUE RESULTS Left-hander David Peterson allowed two runs (one earned) over 3 2/3 innings of work, walking two and striking out one. David Hamilton homered on the first pitch of the game, which didn’t seem to rattle Peterson. “He can have it,” Peterson said after his outing. “If they want to ambush, they can ambush.” Hamilton later doubled off closer Edwin Diaz to lead off the fifth, but the right-hander retired the next three in order, using his fastball for the first out, and his slider for the next two. He threw Triston Casas five straight sliders, with the first baseman swinging and missing on the last three. Outfielder Brandon Nimmo returned to action after taking time off for a sore knee. Nimmo received an injection for his knee, forcing him to miss a week of Grapefruit League games. He went 1-for-3 with a walk. IN DEMAND According to StubHub, demand for tickets across baseball has increased, with ticket sales up 20% compared to this time last year. The ticket resale site ranked the Mets as the sixth-most in-demand team for ticket sales, behind the Dodgers, Red Sox, Yankees, Braves and Phillies. Sales have tripled this spring, with the Mets coming at No. 2 behind the A’s for year-over-year increase. The A’s, who will play temporarily in Sacramento, have seen a 12x increase in ticket sales. The Mets will visit the A’s at Sutter Health Park from April 11-13. ...read more read less