JUPITER, Fla. -- For the first time in a week, Mets second baseman Jeff McNeil took some dry swings and hit off a tee without any problems on Saturday morning.

The Mets had shut McNeil down from hitting activities due to some left biceps soreness he experienced during a batting cage session late last week. McNeil said the latest injury is not related to the partial UCL tear he had in the left elbow back in September. McNeil never had surgery on the elbow, and he said it feels fine.

“It was a very positive sign,” McNeil said about Saturday’s work. “One swing in the cage [last week], it just tightened up on me. It was probably good to shut it down. I experienced a little discomfort.”

Manager Carlos Mendoza said McNeil is probably a week to 10 days away from playing in an exhibition game. The skipper still believes McNeil will be ready for Opening Day against the Brewers on March 28th at Citi Field.

“He is going to progress by [hitting off a tee], … hitting live batting practice and [taking] batting practice on the field,” Mendoza said. “But the good thing about Jeff is the guy … knows how to get ready. He is a natural hitter. Plus, he is a guy that was getting at-bats in the back field. He will continue to play defense. But he is moving in the right direction."

Nimmo’s leadoff days could be over

Mendoza is considering taking left fielder Brandon Nimmo out of the leadoff spot. It was something the skipper was considering a couple of weeks ago. The news was first reported by Newsday.

Mendoza said he is playing with lineups to see what fits best for the club, and he is considering Francisco Lindor and Starling Marte for that top spot. Marte has hit in the top spot in 263 games and has a .269 batting average and a .323 on-base percentage as the leadoff hitter. Lindor, who is one of the best run producers on the team, has a .276 batting average and a .341 on-base percentage while leading off in 384 games.

Mendoza acknowledged that it is hard to take Nimmo out of the top spot. Last year, Nimmo hit .274 with a .363 on-base percentage atop the lineup.

“You play around with so many different names and all that, but it’s hard,” Mendoza said. “[Nimmo] is a guy that gets on base better than anybody. If everyone is healthy, Nimmo will be in the leadoff spot – for now.”