Mets infielder Jeff McNeil underwent a procedure to address thoracic outlet syndrome following the season, agent Garrett Parcell of Paragon Sports International tells Joel Sherman of the New York Post. Parcell noted that McNeil is expected to be a full participant in spring training.
It’s an out-of-the-blue revelation and a relatively alarming one at that. Parcell called the procedure “minor,” though the majority of TOS cases throughout the majors come with notable recovery periods. There are two types of TOS, however: vascular and neurogenic. The latter is most common among pitchers and has a tougher recovery period, whereas the former is a more serious medical condition but also has a better success rate. For instance, right-hander Merrill Kelly underwent a vTOS procedure back in Sept. 2020 and was back on the mound at full strength the following season, taking the ball on April 2 and starting 27 games over the course of the season. (The Athletic’s Zach Buchanan explored the distinction between the two TOS types at the time in 2020.)
Regardless of the specifics, it’s a notable operation for the Mets’ longtime second baseman/outfielder. McNeil, who’ll turn 34 next April, is coming off a solid rebound campaign after a couple down seasons at the plate. He hit .243/.335/.411 (111 wRC+) with a dozen homers and nearly as many walks (10.6%) as strikeouts (11.9%) in 122 games and 462 plate appearances this season. His offensive contributions were far more robust through the end of August, though it seems the TOS symptoms crept up in the season’s final month and dragged his numbers down.
McNeil was sporting a hearty .266/.357/.457 line (128 wRC+) with more walks than strikeouts as deep into the season as Sept. 3. Over his final 71 plate appearances, he turned in an awful .125/.211/.172 batting line with an elevated 19.7% strikeout rate. His average exit velocity when he did make contact in those final three-plus weeks was down a whopping 4.5 mph over his previous levels.
The hope for the Mets and McNeil will be a return to full strength next season. He’s entering the final guaranteed season of a four-year, $50MM contract extension. That contract will pay McNeil $15.75MM next season. There’s also a 2027 club option with a matching $15.75MM salary or a $2MM buyout.
McNeil figures to reprise his role as the Mets’ primary second baseman next year, although he did slide into more of a true utility role in ’25. McNeil still spent 79 games at second base but also made 34 appearances in center field, 10 in left field, seven in right field and even logged two innings at first base.
Given the glut of young infielders on the Mets’ roster (Brett Baty, Luisangel Acuña, Ronny Mauricio, Mark Vientos), that expanded versatility will again give manager Carlos Mendoza some flexibility when writing out his lineup card each day, though it doesn’t sound like he’ll be viewed as a regular option in the outfield. President of baseball operations David Stearns said at this week’s GM Meetings that he envisioned “probably less” time in center field next year. Stearns touted McNeil’s versatility and didn’t rule out occasional outfield reps but said he’s not expecting the outfield to account for a “significant” portion of McNeil’s playing time next year.