Nimmo collects third straight multi-hit game

Between July 28 and Aug. 11, Brandon Nimmo got just eight at-bats against live pitching, six of them coming in the only two starts of his most recent stint in the Major Leagues. Now back in Triple-A, he's feasting on the bountiful buffet of plate trips before him.

Nimmo registered his third straight multi-hit game since his latest return with a 4-for-6 performance Monday night as Triple-A Las Vegas fell to New Orleans, 12-8, at Cashman Field.

"Coming back down after only playing two games in two weeks when I was up in the big leagues, my timing was a little bit off, I think understandably so," the Mets' No. 5 prospect said. "I am feeling a little bit better, but still haven't really gotten to that point where I feel like my best. I'm excited that I am having success, even not feeling my best."

If it's any consolation to Nimmo, his bat is making Pacific Coast League pitchers feel even worse. Since coming back after spending three weeks in the big leagues from June 26-July 16, the 23-year-old outfielder has been pummeling Triple-A pitching with a .400/.431/.564 slash line in 55 at-bats.

"One person told me, 'If you want to hit .300, you have to use the whole bat from end to end,'" Nimmo said. "Sometimes you need those balls to just kind of fall in there, find some holes. That's the name of the game."

A lot fell in against the Zephyrs. Leading off for Las Vegas, the 2011 first-round pick singled to center field in his first two at-bats. After leading off with a double to center in the fourth, Nimmo reached on a single to short in the eighth.

"I've had some balls that I've hit hard, right at people, and they've been caught," he said. "Baseball evens out sometimes, and you appreciate it when it does."

Nimmo made two brief returns to New York in recent weeks. He was recalled on July 29, and then after being sent back to Las Vegas on Aug. 2, summoned again two days later. The taxiing between Triple-A and the Majors limited his game time. Nimmo did go 2-for-8 in limited action for the Mets between July 30-Aug. 5, but otherwise had to find different ways to keep himself sharp with the bat.

"When I got down here, I tried to go and see some bullpens and try and just pop in on our pitchers throwing some bullpens, try to see some live arms and try to get a rhythm going with that," he said. "I think if I ever get in that stretch again up in the big leagues -- which, I'd love to be an everyday player -- but if I ever happen to get in that stretch, I think I need to definitely get into those bullpens and try and see and visually track some balls and get the rhythm going."

Where others might consider returning to the Minors a step in the wrong direction, Nimmo sees it as an asset.

"I think it helps with confidence," he said. "The big leagues are no longer some mythical thing that's dreamed up, and you don't know what it's like at all. When you come back with some experience of it, it's like, 'OK, this is what it's like, and this is what I need to do to stick around or to get better.' It just gives you something to work for and work toward.

"Since I can remember, I've wanted to be a big-league baseball player. Being able to accomplish that dream and be in the big leagues for a little while -- even though we'd all love to have long careers -- even being able to do that takes some pressure off coming back."

With Major League rosters expanding on Sept. 1, Nimmo knows another call to Citi Field might not be far off, but his focus remains with the 51s and as productive a finish to his season as possible.

"I want to finish strong, and I want to finish healthy," the Wyoming native said. "Those are two things that I will be extremely happy with if I can accomplish [them] through the end of this year. That's kind of been my thinking coming into it. Don't give an at-bat away because I need every single one of them, and just finish strong. Give it your best effort. Go and have fun."

New Orleans piled up 19 hits in the win, including seven with men in scoring position. Miami's No. 12 prospect Tomas Telis went 2-for-6 with a double, and Matt Juengel belted a three-run homer as part of a four-RBI night.