Michael Conforto close to being back with Mets, but not yet activated off IL

The Mets are on the verge of getting their Opening Day right fielder back, and he’s got a lot to prove in his walk year.

Michael Conforto sped through all his checkpoints in rehab from a strained right hamstring, prompting the Mets to consider activating him from the injured list on Tuesday before their game against the Braves at Citi Field. Though Mets acting GM Zack Scott said Conforto would come off the IL, his activation was actually not included in a flurry of roster moves the team announced before first pitch. A reason was not provided for Conforto’s delayed return.

“He’s doing great,” Scott said on Tuesday. “He’s actually exceeded our expectations, hit all of our objective markers on his strength, his hamstring. He’s ready to go.”

The Syracuse Mets announced their Tuesday night game was postponed “to allow for additional testing and contact tracing of members of the Mets organization,” which may have affected the team’s decision to activate Conforto. He last played for the Triple-A team on Sunday.

Conforto landed on the IL on May 17 after straining his hamstring on the turf surface of Tropicana Field. He played in just three rehab games for Syracuse, compared to Jeff McNeil’s five. McNeil lso rehabbed and recovered from a hamstring injury this week.

Following Conforto’s return, the squad will be missing only two players to injury from the Opening Day lineup.

Brandon Nimmo (left index finger ligament tear) was scheduled to bat leadoff and play center field for Syracuse on Tuesday in his second rehab assignment before the game was postponed. In encouraging news, he is no longer feeling pain in his finger when he swings, and he’s scheduled to play up to seven innings by his third rehab game. Nimmo is expected to join the Mets by the end of the month. J.D. Davis (left hand sprain) is also scheduled to start a rehab assignment next week.

The Mets, a club with the third-fewest home runs in MLB and deeply in need of slugging prowess, will hope Conforto returns with better power than he left with. He had just two home runs across his first 113 at-bats this season with a .336 slugging percentage.

Conforto will become a free agent at the end of the season unless the Mets and his agent, Scott Boras, reach an agreement on a contract extension. On that front, Scott said on Tuesday there have been no recent conversations to keep Conforto, one of the Mets’ de-facto captains, in New York long-term. But the outfielder is expected to be playing hard for what he hopes will be a big pay day.

The Mets are ranked 29th in the league in runs per game and will take any offensive boost they can get from their soon-to-be activated right fielder.

MAZEIKA BACK

The Mets recalled catcher Patrick Mazeika from Syracuse a day after Tomas Nido was hit on the wrist by a pitch. In a corresponding move, infielder/outfielder Brandon Drury was optioned to Triple-A. It is unclear whether Nido will require an IL-stint following his hit by pitch.

The team also claimed right-hander Robert Stock off waivers from the Cubs and optioned him to Syracuse. The Mets got an up-close look at Stock last week in the Cubs’ visit to Citi Field. He gave up five earned runs and allowed six walks in four innings in his first-career major-league start.

Stock, 31, made 52 relief appearances for the Padres and Red Sox from 2018-2020, posting a 4.24 ERA across 63.2 innings in that stretch. The Mets need help in the bullpen following injuries to key relievers.

GSELLMAN SHUT DOWN

Robert Gsellman has a tear in his right lat and will be shut down from throwing for six weeks, Scott said, highlighting the suddenly fragile state of the bullpen.

Jeurys Familia is also on the IL with a right hip impingement, though Scott said the team believes his absence should not be long term. Dellin Betances is working his way back from an early-season right shoulder injury and could soon be a factor for the club. Scott said to expect Betances to be activated “later this month or early July.”

“I think we still have some guys that can contribute who are in Triple-A,” Scott said of the bullpen. “You always want to have as much pitching as possible, so I’m not going to say we wouldn’t be open to collecting more depth.”