WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Mets infielder/outfielder Jeff McNeil most likely will not play in his first exhibition game until the first week of March, according to manager Carlos Mendoza.

McNeil is still dealing with a partial tear in his left elbow, as he has been since last season, but he has been given clearance to participate in Spring Training activities.

“I already have it mapped out with him. It’s part of his progression, build up, volume and all of that,” Mendoza said. “After going through what he went through this offseason with some of the things he was dealing with, he is healthy, going through full workouts. He's getting plenty of at-bats in live batting practice. He is running the bases. It’s more like building the volume up. He’ll be up there pretty soon.”

Double-play partners
In Monday’s game against the Nationals, Mendoza put shortstop Francisco Lindor and second baseman Luisangel Acuña in the starting lineup. The skipper wanted Acuña, the Mets’ No. 1 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, to learn a lot from the veteran shortstop.

“You are giving some of the younger players an opportunity to play with some [of the veterans]," Mendoza said. "In this case, you're talking about Acuña playing right next to Lindor. It’s important for them to create that connection, not only off the field, but on the field. That’s what we are doing now."

Acuña said he has been talking to Lindor the last couple of days. According to the rookie, Lindor told him to always be ready for the fastball. Acuña picked up two hits in a 6-3 victory over the Nationals.

Acuña said he is happy playing with Lindor and getting good advice from the veteran shortstop. What’s the best piece of advice he was able to get from Lindor?

“He said to stay healthy and to keep doing my routine on a daily basis,” Acuña said. “As a young player, you want to do things [quickly], but it’s all about making adjustments, talking to Lindor, [who is reminding me] to slow down the game. That’s what I’m trying to do.”

Nice debut
Right-hander Max Kranick started Monday’s game against Washington and retired all six hitters he faced. Throwing his two-seam fastball, a pitch he developed only three weeks ago, has helped him find success on the mound. Kranick was also working on a splitter this winter, but he encountered mixed results. He said he might reintroduce the pitch to opponents sometime this season.