When the Mets activated Jeff McNeil off the injured list Saturday, manager Mickey Callaway pondered what it would mean for his roster all day.
Callaway decided that for Saturday’s game against the Braves at Citi Field, McNeil only would pinch hit or be used as part of a double-switch — with his full return scheduled for Sunday, when he most likely will start at second base. Aaron Altherr, who was hitting .082, was designated for assignment to make room for McNeil on the active roster.
But McNeil’s return from his second stint on the IL, after a strained left hamstring, leaves Callaway with the problem of how to integrate him back into his lineup without disrupting the team’s current chemistry.