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With the Mets’ home opener less than two hours away, and on the same day the team is revealing the long-awaited Tom Seaver statue unveiling, the Mets are dealing with COVID-19 in their locker room.

Hours before the game, Newsday‘s Tim Healey reported a Mets staff member tested positive for COVID. Soon after that, he reported both Brandon Nimmo and Mark Canha tested positive for COVID but are asymptomatic, according to Mike Puma.

Healey also previously reported that “a bunch of players and coaches” were potential close contacts to the originally reported staffer and were in the process of getting tested. For now, it seems at least Nimmo’s and Canha’s tests came back positive.

The New York Daily News‘ Deesha Thosar reported soon after that it was “possible” that four Mets regulars would be out of the starting lineup due to testing. The lineup was released just after 11 a.m., and Nimmo and Canha were the noticeable absences. Dominic Smith is also not in the lineup against a right-handed pitcher despite the absences of the two outfielders.

Travis Jankowski and J.D. Davis are starting at center field and designated hitter, respectively, and Robinson Canó is playing second base with Jeff McNeil manning left field.

Nick Plummer and Matt Reynolds are with the Mets in Nimmo’s and Canha’s place, manager Buck Showalter said.

The Mets reportedly have one of the lower rates of vaccination against COVID-19 in the league.

If a player is a close contact and not vaccinated, they have to quarantine for five days before being able to return, as Bradford William Davis points out. Vaccinated players who are close contacts can play after one negative test. All other personnel in the locker room who weren’t close contacts can continue as normal without a test unless they become symptomatic.

Mike Puma and the New York Post polled some Mets on their vaccination status during spring training. McNeil, Max Scherzer and Robinson Canó all said they were vaccinated. Multiple other Mets (Francisco Lindor, Carlos Carrasco) have said in the past that they’ve been vaccinated. Smith, Nimmo, Davis and Pete Alonso all declined to talk about their vaccination status, though Alonso hinted he was vaccinated last season (he was part of a COVID-19 vaccine ad campaign).

More news about players testing positive or being cleared to play will likely come out over the next few hours.

DeGrom MRI Scheduled, Walker Plays Catch

In other injury news, Jacob deGrom said he has a follow-up MRI scheduled for April 25 to check in on the stress reaction in his scapula. The Mets announced deGrom would be shut down for four weeks on April 1, so deGrom may be able to resume throwing on April 28 (or around there) if his April 25 MRI comes back clean.

Taijuan Walker, on the other hand, was recently placed on the injured list with right shoulder bursitis, but he said he has played catch two days in a row, according to Tim Healey. He plans to pitch in a rehab assignment next week if all goes to plan, then he can re-join the rotation for his next turn through.

Walker is eligible to come off the IL on April 22, which would be his turn in the rotation. Though the Mets haven’t announced it yet, David Peterson is the likely candidate to fill in for Walker on Sunday after the lefty threw four scoreless innings in relief of Walker last Monday.