WASHINGTON – With their depth of catch extended to the limits, the Mets received a significant boost Saturday when they activated incumbent James McCann from the injured roster. He served as New York’s No. 29 man for his double header against the Nationals, so no corresponding move was necessary.
McCann had been sidelined since Aug. 16 with a spasm attack in his back that team officials initially did not consider serious enough even to justify a stage of IL. But the tightness in McCann’s back persisted to such an extent that he couldn’t run at full speed until this week. Even now, the Mets plan to remain cautious with McCann, who may not be able to immediately take on a full workload.
“We will see the day to day how it responds,” manager Luis Rojas said.
Complicated is the fact that third receiver Chance Sisco was still being evaluated Saturday morning due to the collision he suffered the night before at home during the Mets ’6-2 win and 10 innings against Washington. Although the concussion tests turned negative, as did the tests on Sisco’s left knee, it could remain unavailable for a while. The Mets started Patrick Mazeika in the first game of Saturday weekend, with plans to use McCann in the second game.
If Sisco is healthy enough to avoid the injury list, the Mets will consider keeping him on their active roster even beyond this weekend to give them protection from anything that happens to McCann. His usual backup receiver, Tomás Nido, is not fit to leave IL from a torn left thumb until Tuesday and is not guaranteed to return at this time.
It’s a tricky problem that McCann can significantly alleviate if he’s able to stay healthy. Before going to IL, McCann hit .240 / .303 / .357 with nine homers in 99 games during the first season of a four-year, $ 40.6 million contract.