Mets Notebook: Buck Showalter’s praise of Brandon Nimmo’s work ethic does come with one warning

Buck Showalter appreciates his center fielder’s growth and work ethic, but he doesn’t want it to cost Brandon Nimmo his marriage.

Nimmo apparently puts in work after hours on the diamond, which caught the attention of his manager.

“I’ve left here a few nights and he’s still here,” Showalter said before his club faced the Brewers on Wednesday at Citi Field. “And I ask him, ‘Is your wife here?’

Nimmo’s wife, Chelsea, was not at the ballpark.

“I said, ‘If you want to stay married, you need to get your butt out of here,” Showalter explained.

But Showalter can’t complain about the baseball progress. Especially with the glove. At 29 years old, Nimmo has developed into one of the National League’s best defensive center fielders, as he demonstrated in Tuesday’s victory over the Brewers with a spectacular diving catch in the gap.

While his attempt at marriage counseling was in jest, Showalter was serious about Nimmo’s commitment.

“It’s hard to bring what he brings every day just from an effort standpoint and engagement,” the manager said. “His personality never wavers.”

Nimmo’s unique path to MLB didn’t include high school ball (his school in Wyoming didn’t have a team) or college ball (he was drafted out of high school and left a verbal commitment to the University of Arkansas on the table).

The circumstances left Nimmo coachable, but Showalter said he has to resist pushing too many suggestions.

“He improves every day. He’s trying to improve, I should say,” Showalter said. “He’s not satisfied. I think we lose sight that he didn’t follow the normal path of somebody who goes to an SEC school and plays 90 games every year for three years and plays 30 or 40 games in high school. In a lot of ways, it’s kind of refreshing because he’s very open to things as opposed to having some habits that are hard to break. You got to be almost careful what you bring up to him because he’s going to try to do that next at-bat, that next inning.”

MCCANN READY FOR REHAB STINT

James McCann will begin a rehab assignment Thursday with Double-A Binghamton, according to Showalter.

McCann who underwent surgery on his fractured left wrist on May 14, will travel with Binghamton to Bowie, Md,, to face the Baysox.

The 32-year-old was optimistic that his rehab stint would be quick, but Showalter was more cautious.

“We’ll see,” Showalter said. “Thursday he’ll play. And then we’ll see where he is going to be the next day.”

McCann, who is batting just .196 with one homer in 21 games, hasn’t played since May 10. Patrick Mazeika and Tomas Nido have replaced him behind the plate.