New York Mets: What does the return of Brandon Nimmo signal for the team?

NEW YORK, NY - JULY 21: Brandon Nimmo #9 of the New York Mets looks on during the game against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on July 21, 2018 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Rob Tringali/SportsChrome/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - JULY 21: Brandon Nimmo #9 of the New York Mets looks on during the game against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on July 21, 2018 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Rob Tringali/SportsChrome/Getty Images)

Brandon Nimmo is set to return from his prolonged absence. This comes at the perfect time, the Mets are beginning to slow down and they need reinforcements.

The New York Mets stunning return from the chasm and revitalization of the organization has seemed to skid off of the rails as of late. The 1-5 record, including a home sweep, against the Braves, has placed them in a precarious spot. The simplest way to come out alive is to begin winning games, luckily enough they are playing those teams directly in their path.

The overwhelming joy that has burned through and ignited the constantly loyal Mets’ fanbase- proliferating like a blaze through a forest- can simply be doused by a lack of offense. Losing a few games after a month of rampant winning will no end their season, however, when that loosing occurs against teams like the Cubs, Phillies or Nationals, the Mets may become envelop in a hole too deep to emerge from.

More from Call to the Pen

A beam of light may be present in 2018-breakout Brandon Nimmo. The jubilant outfielder can possibly provide the spark that this current roster so desperately requires.

For the most part, the pitching has been on point, Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard, and Steven Matz have all been excellent since the early July All-Star break. Zack Wheeler has been riddled with inconsistency- especially against the Braves- however, he has been productive on the whole.

The acquisition of Marcus Stroman has proved to not be very impactful at all, as he has shown moments of brilliance, ultimately faltering at some point in every start. The bullpen has on the whole been much improved – aside from Edwin Diaz– the collective group of pitchers has surpassed the low-mark of being utterly abysmal, set by the first-half bullpen.

All that aside, the pitching has been the backbone of this surge for the Wild Card slot, as is has been the main reason for their victories and the bright spot of their defeats, for the most part. On the other hand, the offense has severely stagnated over the last two weeks, grinding to a near halt against the Braves and now the Cubs.

Jeff McNeil has returned, which has not yet rewarded them with any dividends, that is not likely to remain. After a raucous July and early August, Michael Conforto has cooled down, as has J.D. Davis– two of the largest contributors on the Mets sensational stretch of winning.

This is coupled with the fact that the seventh and eighth batters in the lineup are usually some combination of Joe Panik, Todd Frazier, and Juan Lagares. These players are simply not everyday major leaguers, yet they can contribute.

Lagares has been hot as of late and provides a level of outfield play that the Mets are unaccustomed to. Frazier has been unable to hit at all over the last month, as his average is below .200 and he has become a proverbial double play machine.

These players are by no means responsible for the losses, yet when the major hitters cool off, a team needs a deeper roster to fill in the deficiencies. Nimmo could easily slot into the lineup and begin to fill in these holes, as his patient approach and surprising power would go a long way for this team.

Also, his personality returning to the clubhouse could do wonders, as he is noted as being an infectious personality dripping in positivity. His reappearance would hold the team in place while the other hitters that they rely upon getting back into form.

Next. The Mets next two weeks. dark

A suggested day for his return may be September 1, so it would not come at the cost of a current roster player.