Nimmo activated off IL in flurry of moves

NEW YORK -- As Brandon Nimmo bused with his teammates from Citi Field to Yankee Stadium before Friday's game was rained out, Nimmo caught himself reflecting on how much he had missed being on the field.

"Sometimes you get so wrapped up in it that you forget how awesome this is," Nimmo said. "I think this injury has just kind of shown me again how blessed I am to get to do what I'm doing."

Finally healthy after two months of rehab, Nimmo's return to action will have to wait one more day. Prior to the postponement, Nimmo was activated off the injured list and was slated to bat leadoff and play center field. It was his first time there since May 2, when Nimmo fouled off a pitch and yelped in pain.

Initially, the Mets believed that Nimmo had suffered a bone bruise in his left index finger. Team doctors later hypothesized that it was actually a nerve issue. Only after visiting an Ohio-based hand specialist did Nimmo learn that a ligament near the base of his finger had partially detached from the bone. Doctors told him it would heal on its own, but that the process would take time.

So Nimmo waited until he finally felt pain-free in early June before starting the swinging progression that led to his return. A more significant test occurred during his rehab assignment, when Nimmo felt no pain despite hitting several balls not quite on the barrel. He's currently wearing a protective wrap underneath his left batting glove, which he hopes will prevent any similar injuries in the future.

"Since it was such a freak accident, we don't want it to happen again this season or ever again, really," Nimmo said. "I didn't feel it at all during rehab, and while I was getting my timing back, I did get blown up a few times. So it's been doing well, and I'm excited to be healthy and be able to contribute to this team in whatever way I can."

Roster moves galore
Nimmo was not the only Mets player to come off the IL on Friday, as the team activated both reliever Jeurys Familia (right hip impingement) and backup catcher Tomás Nido (bruised right wrist) following brief IL stints. A source said the Mets plan to have Jonathan Villar (right calf tightness) available to come off the IL on Saturday.

In addition, the Mets activated Marcus Stroman, who spent four days on the bereavement list following the passing of his grandmother.

To make room, the team placed David Peterson on the IL due to right side soreness, while optioning catcher Patrick Mazeika, infielder Travis Blankenhorn and pitcher Thomas Szapucki to Syracuse.

As of Friday afternoon, the Mets were still waiting on additional information regarding Peterson, who could be looking at a lengthy absence after leaving Wednesday's start due to a sharp pain in his side.

Adding depth
The Mets continued to add to their Minor League pitching depth on Friday, acquiring left-hander Anthony Banda from the Giants for infielder Will Toffey.

Banda, 27, has played parts of four seasons with the D-backs and Rays, most recently appearing in the Majors for Tampa Bay last summer. Overall, he owns a 5.96 career ERA.

The Mets sent Banda to Triple-A Syracuse, where he offers them another pitcher capable of starting or relieving. They recently signed former Phillies starter Vance Worley to a Minor League deal and claimed right-hander Robert Stock off waivers, adding those names to a Syracuse rotation that lost both Tylor Megill and Corey Oswalt to big-league promotions.

Load management
Since Michael Conforto returned from the injured list on June 23, the Mets have been exceedingly careful with him, keeping him out of the starting lineup three times over his first 10 games. The third such occasion happened on Friday, when manager Luis Rojas started fellow lefty swinger Billy McKinney over Conforto despite the presence of a left-handed starter, Jordan Montgomery.

According to Rojas, it's a simple case of load management for Conforto, who missed nearly six weeks due to a strained right hamstring.

"It's strategic," Rojas said. "It's not for the hamstring specifically, but it's for workload and playing [several] days in a row, just making sure that it's a progression coming off the IL."

Rojas noted that Nimmo will likely undergo a similar progression in his first couple weeks back from the IL.