McNeil embracing rapid spring ramp-up

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- If Mets officials had any concerns about Jeff McNeil seeing enough live pitching before Opening Day, he did his best to silence them Tuesday in a single plate appearance.

Making his Grapefruit League debut after missing three and a half weeks due to left biceps discomfort, McNeil saw 11 pitches in the first inning alone, drawing a walk against Lance Lynn after (of course) swinging at the first pitch.

• Mets 3, Cardinals 1

“That’s kind of my normal at-bat right there sometimes,” McNeil said, laughing. “I was thinking I might not get a second at-bat if I take too many swings right there.”

In his next plate appearance, McNeil drove a ball to Clover Park’s right-field fence with the bases loaded, coming within a foot or two of a grand slam. He reported no ill effects from all the action.

“I just wanted to make sure I was ready for Opening Day,” McNeil said of his extended absence. “It didn’t really matter how long it took. I just wanted to make sure -- March 28 is the big one, so make sure I’m in for that. But there’s still a week here to get ready and be prepared.”

With seven work days to go until the opener, McNeil should have plenty of time to increase his at-bat count via Grapefruit League games and additional backfield reps. He’s not concerned about the quick ramp-up; if anything, part of McNeil prefers a lighter spring workload.

“Sometimes, the fewer at-bats could be beneficial as well,” he said. “You don’t get those bad thoughts, bad habits. You just let your natural ability take over and roll into the season.”

Manager Carlos Mendoza slotted McNeil in at cleanup for his debut, chalking that up to a desire to get him at-bats. That could, however, be the spot McNeil ultimately settles into on Opening Day, behind Brandon Nimmo, Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso. The primary alternative would be batting McNeil third and Alonso fourth, but the second baseman doesn’t mind hitting behind his close buddy.

“I’ve always got his back,” McNeil said.

See you in May
Quietly, David Peterson has been making steady progress in his rehabilitation from surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left hip. Peterson threw his fourth bullpen session on Tuesday, firing 15 pitches.

“I feel like a real player again,” he said. “It feels different, but it feels different in a better way. I feel like I can actually rotate through that hip.”

Had Peterson been healthy, he likely would have been in the thick of the Mets’ fifth starter competition alongside Tylor Megill and José Buttó. Instead, the Mets transferred Peterson to the 60-day injured list earlier this spring, adding clarity to his timeline: he’s not eligible to return until May 27.

Peterson’s goal is to become an active player on that day.

“That’s kind of what we’re planning for,” he said. “Before they put me on the 60-day, it was similar to the timeline that we had in mind. If anything, it gives me a little extra time.”

Camp cuts
The Mets cut six more players from big league camp on Tuesday:

• OF Trayce Thompson
• OF Ben Gamel
• INF Yolmer Sánchez
• RHP Kyle Crick
• RHP Yacksel Ríos
• RHP Cole Sulser

Of those six, Thompson was the most realistic threat to crack the Opening Day roster, but he cooled significantly following a hot start to spring. Realistically, the Mets’ bench competition is down to two players -- DJ Stewart and Ji Man Choi -- battling for one spot. Zack Short, Luke Voit and Jose Iglesias make less sense from a roster construction standpoint but remain on the fringes of the competition.

Feeling better
Reliever Sean Reid-Foley, who hasn’t appeared in a Grapefruit League game since March 9 due to arm fatigue, sat in the mid-90s during a bullpen session Tuesday. He expects to return to game action before the end of the week and remains a strong candidate to make the Opening Day roster.

Reid-Foley, Michael Tonkin, Yohan Ramírez and Phil Bickford are the primary competitors battling for two open bullpen spots.

This and that
Other highlights from Tuesday’s game included Brett Baty hitting his second home run of spring to push his March batting average (temporarily) to .290, and Francisco Alvarez throwing out his eighth would-be basestealer. No other MLB backstop has more than five.

Two pitchers, Luis Severino and Buttó, appeared in Minor League games on the backfields. Severino will throw once more on Sunday before starting Game 2 of the regular season on March 30.

Almost time
A sure sign of Opening Day: players arrived in the clubhouse Tuesday to find new black suitcases in front of their lockers and boxes to pack their belongings. The equipment truck back to New York departs this week.