Brandon Nimmo hopes to come off injured list this week

For Brandon Nimmo and his rehab from a recent hamstring strain, everything is trending toward joining the active roster sooner than anticipated.

“I know I’ve definitely surprised them,” Nimmo said Sunday at Citi Field. “Things have been going really, really well.”

Nimmo went on the 10-day injured list on Sept. 4, between games of a doubleheader at Nationals Park. From the moment he was sidelined, with his second injury of the season, Nimmo was hopeful he would return to the lineup on or around the minimum 10 days. The center fielder takes his physical health and conditioning seriously enough that he knew the cards were stacked in his favor once he sustained a muscle injury.

On Sunday, before the Subway Series finale, Nimmo said his expectation is that he will come off the IL this week. The earliest he can return to the lineup is Wednesday, and Nimmo is hoping to avoid a rehab assignment so he can help the Mets in their final push to the playoffs.

“This is going a lot quicker than they anticipated, and even myself. I was hopeful that I could heal kind of quicker on the muscle injuries, I was hopeful that this was going to happen. Trying to push the envelope a little every day.”

Nimmo pushed the envelope to running at 90 percent on Sunday. It was his first time back on the field, though he’d been swinging in the batting cages indoors since he landed on the IL. He sustained the hamstring strain while rounding third base, so it was important for him to run the bases again Sunday and test out the strength of his strain.

He said he’s “very anxious” to get back on the field and improve the Mets’ offense. Each of the last eight Mets losses have been by one run, and 15 of the team’s last 17 losses have been by one run. Overall, the Mets are 27-30 in one run games this season.

When healthy, Nimmo is one of the best hitters on the team. He is slashing .302/.420/.415 with a 134 OPS+, 50 walks, 23 RBI, five home runs, 15 doubles and 42 runs scored across 77 games this season. He previously spent May and June on the IL after suffering a tear in his middle finger.

“Especially with the circumstances, I would like to help out sooner than later,” Nimmo said.

JAKE UPDATE

Jacob deGrom (right UCL sprain) is continuing to throw off flat ground as his rehab from a second-half injury proceeds at a glacial pace. The Mets expect him to throw off a mound this week, manager Luis Rojas said on Sunday. But there is still no definitive timeline on his return, as the baseball calendar continues to work against him. The two-time Cy Young winner last started for the Mets on July 7.

NOAH ONE STEP CLOSER

Noah Syndergaard (Tommy John rehab) is expected to face hitters this week, Rojas said. The right-hander was forced to take a couple of steps back from his encouraging rehab start in August after testing positive for COVID-19 on his 29th birthday. He has since recovered and thrown two bullpen sessions. Syndergaard wants to pitch for the Mets before the season is over, but he is likely to do that from the bullpen only, due to his limited arsenal.