When Jose Siri went down with a fractured left tibia, the New York Mets didn’t just lose a glove—they lost their safety net in center field. Offensively, Siri hadn’t been lighting up the stat sheet, but his defensive presence was like having a vacuum cleaner in the outfield: nothing got past him.
Now, the Mets are scrambling to patch the hole he left behind—and they’re getting creative.
A Curveball Solution: McNeil in Center
With Siri out indefinitely, the Mets are looking at an unorthodox fix. Tyrone Taylor might seem like the logical fill-in, but his bat hasn’t inspired much confidence.
Enter Luisangel Acuña, who’s been swinging a red-hot stick lately. The team wants to keep him in the mix—and not just warming the bench.To make room for Acuña at second base, the Mets are eyeing Jeff McNeil for center field duty.
That’s right, the versatile infielder could soon be roaming the outfield again. It’s not a foreign position for McNeil, who’s played there in the past, but sliding him into center is a bold move nonetheless.
The club floated the idea to McNeil ahead of his rehab game on Thursday, and he’s all in. Think of it like swapping puzzle pieces that don’t quite match, but still fit well enough to keep the picture intact.
Acuña’s Future Hinges on Playing Time
According to Newsday’s Tim Healey, this maneuver is less about McNeil and more about keeping Acuña’s bat in the big-league lineup.
What I read into the Jeff McNeil/centerfield dabbling: The Mets really, really want Luisangel Acuna to continue to earn playing time.
Acuna will stay in the majors only if he has regular playing time. McNeil in center some would help with that.
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— Tim Healey (@timbhealey) April 17, 2025
“The Mets really, really want Luisangel Acuña to continue to earn playing time,” Healey wrote. “McNeil in center some would help with that.”
That sentiment was echoed by Mets skipper Carlos Mendoza, who told SNY that now’s the perfect time to get McNeil reacquainted with center field while he’s rehabbing in the minors.
“This is nothing new for him,” Mendoza said. “He’s played there before. But we wanted to take advantage of this opportunity… He’s on board with it, so he’ll get a game tomorrow in center.”
An Infield Bat, An Outfield Glove
If McNeil proves he can handle the position—even just passably—it solves two problems in one swing. The lineup gains a proven hitter without compromising much on defense. It’s not exactly a straight trade for Siri’s glove, but it could end up being a net gain at the plate.
In a season already full of twists, this could be the Mets’ most intriguing gamble yet.