Coming off an extremely successful performance last season, the New York Mets were counting on outfielder Brandon Nimmo to help lead the club’s offense and also serve as a reliable defender in center field throughout 2021, although that plan has hit a bit of a speed bump early on.

Despite enjoying a productive start to the season, resulting in a .465 BABIP, .388 wOBA, .413 xwOBAcon, 151 wRC+ score and a slashing line of .318/.430/.439/.870 over 80 plate appearances, Nimmo was hit by a pitch on his left index finger and was ultimately placed on the 10-day injured list due to a bone bruise. As a result, the 28-year-old has been sidelined since May 2 and his departure has left a gaping hole within the Mets’ lineup.

Even though the 6′ 3″ outfielder has been out for nearly two weeks, he’s still near the top of the leaderboard in several different offensive categories, as the left-hander currently owns the second-highest BABIP, the fifth-highest OBP, is tied for the 12th-highest walk rate (15.0%) and has also produced the 13th-highest wOBA and wRC+ score among all outfielders who’ve earned at least 50 plate appearances, according to FanGraphs.com.

Luckily for New York, it appears Nimmo might be returning to the majors very shortly as he’s begun a rehab assignment with the triple-A Syracuse Mets. While the talented center fielder was first eligible to be activated off the injured list on Friday, he’ll likely need a little more time in the minors to shake off any rust he’s accumulated before returning to Citi Field.

With Nimmo out of commission, veteran Kevin Pillar has since taken on a much larger role in his absence, serving as the everyday center fielder over the last two weeks. Though teammate Albert Almora Jr. has also spent some time in center, Pillar has certainly taken advantage of this increased playing time and has been excelling at the plate during that same span.

After struggling offensively through the first month of the schedule, which saw the 32-year-old post a -6 wRC+ score and a slashing line of .115/.179/.115/.294 over his first 28 plate appearances, he’s turned things around in May and has produced a .387 BABIP, .244 ISO, .403 wOBA, 160 wRC+ score and an impressive slashing line of .341/.357/.585/.943 over his last 42 plate appearances.

Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Considering the right-hander was pretty much seen as an afterthought when he signed a two-year, $6.5 million contract in the offseason, it’s very encouraging to see his acquisition already proving to be extremely valuable for the Mets, especially since he currently owns a 0.2 fWAR rating. As for where the former Toronto Blue Jay has made the biggest strides since the calendar turned to May, he’s endured the most success against fastballs as nine of his 14 hits have come against them.

Despite recording a .308 xAVG, .473 xSLG, .374 xwOBA, 98.9 mph average exit velocity, 76.9% hard-hit rate and a 38.5% FB rate against heaters in April, Pillar couldn’t locate holes in the opposing defense and generated a .176 AVG, .176 SLG, .214 wOBA along with zero extra-base hits.

Breaking through those struggles this month, the former 32nd-round pick has fared much better so far, creating a .346 AVG, .615 SLG, .423 wOBA and a pair of home runs against fastballs.

While this offensive surge has been a welcomed surprise from Pillar, there’s a strong chance he won’t be able to sustain this production for much longer and could face a major regression in the near future. Based on his .265 xAVG, .328 xwOBA, 83.6 mph average exit velocity, 30.0% hard-hit rate and FB rate against heaters in May, the veteran righty is likely to return to the average hitter he’s largely be known as throughout his career.

In addition to his impending cooldown, the California State product has made some highlight-worthy catches in center field, but for the most part, he’s served as a below-average defender and would be better suited for a corner outfield spot. In total, the former Toro has recorded a -1 OAA over his 105.0 innings as a center fielder this season.

Even though Nimmo faltered in center field last season, resulting in a miserable -4 OAA through 308 1/3 innings, he’s made some much-needed improvements and was performing fairly well at the time of his injury, as the speedy outfielder has posted a 2 OAA over 116.0 innings this season.

Taking into account these factors, the former first-round pick couldn’t be nearing his return at a more perfect time, especially since his presence has been greatly missed in the leadoff spot. Filling in at the top of the Mets’ batting order, teammates Jeff McNeil, Pillar and others haven’t been nearly as effective while hitting first and have caused this team to receive very little production out of that role.

Since May 3, the Mets’ leadoff position is tied for the second-fewest home runs (one), tied for the sixth-lowest ISO (.083), has produced the seventh-lowest BABIP (.258) and is tied for the eighth-lowest wOBA (.298) and wRC+ score (93) among all 30 teams in the league, according to FanGraphs.com.

Once Nimmo returns to the majors, his presence at the top of the order will help make this team’s offense even deeper than it already is and he can also set the table for someone like shortstop Francisco Lindor, who’s recently broken out of his early hitting woes. As for how Pillar may be utilized moving forward, he’ll likely return to his fourth outfielder role and occasionally be called upon as a late-game defensive replacement as well.

With one of the most important players set to return in the coming days, barring any kind of setback, of course, the Mets should receive a significant boost through the remainder of this month and beyond, positioning them in a perfect spot to continue sitting atop of the NL East division.