Brandon Nimmo (The New York Times)

The Mets might be without a key piece of their future for a while. According to James Wagner of The New York Times, outfielder Brandon Nimmo has suffered a grade one hamstring strain. He will be out several weeks, and any update on when he will return to the field is unknown.

Nimmo’s injury occurred during the World Baseball Classic. Playing for Team Italy, Nimmo ran down a ball that Puerto Rico’s Enrique Hernandez hit into the right center field gap. He was removed immediately after the play. The 23-year old was also removed from the tournament completely. So far the Mets have not given any update on his status.

An injury like this can be a huge setback for a young player. It can cost Brandon Nimmo an Opening Day roster spot. There were rumors that Nimmo would have definitely made the team if Michael Conforto wasn’t ready. With Conforto on a tear right now, it seems obvious that that won’t be the case anymore. Depending on how long he heals, Nimmo will most likely need to start in Triple-A again before getting the call to be a fifth outfielder for the Mets.

While some blame the WBC for an early injury like this, it could come down to just dumb luck. Nimmo was doing well in Spring Training and the start of the tournament. An incident like this could have been a result of numerous things. This one injury has not stopped the tournament from being very entertaining.

A spark plug for the team late last year, Nimmo’s infectious smile and power helped the team make their push to the playoffs. It’s no doubt that Nimmo is a future outfielder for the Mets. It looks like he’ll just need more time to prepare.