New York Mets Tim Tebow dealing with sprained ankle
By David Hill
Those hoping to see New York Mets minor leaguer Tim Tebow in action may have to wait a bit longer.
There was a great deal of interest in Tim Tebow during Spring Training. The New York Mets had invited the former quarterback to the major league portion of camp this year, and planned on giving him a long look. As the Mets were short on outfielders due to various injuries, Tebow was likely to get far more playing time than one would have normally expected.
However, to this point, Tebow has yet to make his Spring Training debut. The Mets have held him out of their games thus far, even though the reason was not known. As it turns out, Tebow has been dealing with a sprained ankle, suffered after he tripped over a spinkler head in the outfield.
Mets say Tim Tebow sprained his ankle tripping on a sprinkler head in the outfield the other day. He’s been taking batting practice since though.
— James Wagner (@ByJamesWagner) February 25, 2018
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The injury is not considered to be all that severe, especially as Tebow has been taking batting practice since spraining his ankle. The hope is that he will be able to get into game action in the near future, with the Mets keeping an eye towards accelerating his development.
At this point, Tebow is expected to begin the 2018 campaign at AA. It will be an interesting test for the outfielder, as he will see a significant step up in talent. As Tebow produced a .226/.309/.347 batting line across two levels, there are certainly questions as to how well he will hit as he rises through the ranks. However, his eight homers and 24 doubles hint towards some potential power if he can develop into a legitimate player.
Interestingly, Tebow did better after his promotion, increasing his batting average and slugging percentage while cutting down his strikeout rate. With the tutoring he would receive in Spring Training, and the exposure to major league pitchers, Tebow may be able to take another step forward in his development.
Next: Mets playoff contenders in 2018
The New York Mets are expecting Tim Tebow to continue to improve during his minor league odyssey. He just needs to be healthy first.