Brandon Nimmo faces Noah Syndergaard in live batting practice, center fielder expects to return Friday

Brandon Nimmo dug into the box against Noah Syndergaard on Wednesday and saw about 15-20 pitches from the right-hander. Once the session was over, Nimmo stepped off to the side for a quick refresh, then he stepped back into the box for more batting practice with soft tosses from a pitching coach.

Then Nimmo ran around the bases. Then he jogged to the outfield and shagged fly balls. Then he picked up his bat and ran out to the Mets bullpen, where Carlos Carrasco was throwing his usual between-starts session. Nimmo stepped in against Carrasco in the bullpen, too. Anything to see more pitches.

Nimmo on Wednesday looked active, energetic, and most importantly, healthy as ever. It took him just over a week to get over his hamstring strain, his second injury of the year that forced an IL stint. His first, a pesky middle finger injury, caused him to miss two months. Nimmo was thrilled his hamstring strain, a nuisance of an injury that typically takes 4-6 weeks to heal, significantly improved during his minimum 10 days on the IL. His rapid recovery exceeded the expectations of the team’s physical trainers.

“We’ve passed the final test,” he said. “I am really happy. When things go to plan, it always seems like a surprise this year.”

Nimmo expects to return to the lineup on Friday when the Mets open another crucial three-game series against the Phillies to wrap up their penultimate homestand. Watching his team lose two straight games to the Cardinals on Monday and Tuesday was frustrating for Nimmo. Sitting on the bench, wanting to help the Mets in a pennant race, the centerfielder has been extremely anxious to get back on the field for his club.

His return will be a welcome spark for a Mets team that has struggled offensively all year. Nimmo is slashing .302/.420/.415 with 50 walks, 42 runs scored and 23 RBI in 77 games this year. The Mets entered Wednesday four games out of the second wild-card spot with 16 games to play.

“With where the team is at and the schedule is at, we’re just running out of time,” Nimmo said. “Not being out there last night was killing me.”

NOAH FACES NIMMO

When Syndergaard walked into the Mets clubhouse and saw Nimmo sitting at his locker, the competitive blonde-haired pitcher didn’t waste any time razzing his teammate.

Nimmo recounted their meeting: “He came in the clubhouse, saw me and said, ‘You’re the enemy today.’ I said, ‘Good luck with that.’”

Wednesday was Syndergaard’s first time facing a batter since his first rehab start with High-A Brooklyn in August. He was scheduled to make another rehab start five days later, but was shut down after he tested positive for COVID-19. After 10 days of isolation and a few bullpen sessions, Syndergaard returned to the stadium mound to face Nimmo.

Syndergaard’s fastball velocity was a tick below the mid-90s. He wasn’t throwing at full tilt on Wednesday, and Nimmo noted that his intensity and adrenaline is not the same in a live batting practice session as it would be under the lights with fans in the stands.

Luis Rojas said Syndergaard will need at least one more live batting practice session before the team determines whether he is ready to join the roster.

“He looked good,” Nimmo said of Syndergaard. “It’s obviously a long break. So he’s just trying to get a feel for all of his stuff again with batters in the box. As long as he’s not having pain and feels good, that makes me happy.”

BAEZ STAYING IN NEW YORK?

Javy Baez has made himself comfortable in New York following 33 games with the Mets. He arrived in Queens via Chicago at the July 30 trade deadline, alongside right-hander Trevor Williams, in exchange for the Mets’ 2020 first-round draft pick, outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong.

Baez becomes a free agent after the 2021 season, and he’s put on impactful performances for the Mets that would reasonably convince the front office he could play for the club long-term. His nine home runs in 33 games are more than Jeff McNeil (six) and J.D. Davis (five) have totaled in 107 and 68 games, respectively, this season. And those nine dingers are almost as many as Michael Conforto (12), Dominic Smith (11) and James McCann (10) have compiled in over 100 games each for the Mets in 2021.

Baez on Wednesday confidently said his “numbers are already there” when it comes to giving the Mets a reason to keep him in New York. He said he’s thought about playing with his childhood friend, Francisco Lindor, up the middle on a long-term deal for the Mets. But that decision ultimately is out of his control.

“We did it in the Baseball Classic, and you all saw the combination and the communication that we had — and that we have right here,” Baez said of Lindor. “We’ll see what’s their plan and what’s their decision at the end.”

ROBERTO CLEMENTE DAY

Eight members of the Mets organization wore No. 21 on Wednesday in honor of a league-wide Roberto Clemente Day. All five Mets players with Puerto Rican heritage — Lindor, Baez, Edwin Diaz, Seth Lugo, and Tomas Nido, plus bullpen coach Ricky Bones — donned No. 21. So did Pete Alonso, the Mets’ 2021 nominee for the prestigious Roberto Clemente award, and Carlos Carrasco, the 2019 winner of the award.