WASHINGTON — The Mets opened a game Wednesday with a scare.
Brandon Nimmo was pulled from the Mets’ 5-4 loss to Washington at Nationals Park before the bottom of the second inning with neck stiffness, with Starling Marte taking his spot in left field.
A problem that “I think that I’m going to have to deal with for the rest of my career,” Nimmo said of the injury that began in 2019 with a bulging disc and whiplash from a crash into a wall and flares up occasionally, as it did in May.
Nevertheless, Nimmo said he was not overly concerned about a lengthy absence but said with treatment, the neck issue resolves over a few days — which likely will make for a brief and poorly timed absence.
Nimmo had taken an at-bat in the first inning and grounded into a double play.
A team that is playing without Francisco Alvarez can ill-afford to lose Nimmo, who has been a constant at the top of the lineup, for an extended period.