Tim Tebow will be back at the New York Mets major league camp in Port St. Lucie, Florida, in February.
The Mets’ most famous minor leaguer returns for this third season with the team.
Last year, the Heisman Trophy winner and former NFL quarterback hit .273 with six home runs and 36 RBIs in 84 Double-A games before a broken hand ended his season in July.
Because he is not on the 40-man roster, Tebow needed an invite to big league camp, which opens Feb. 16. He was with the Mets at big league camp last season as well and drew big crowds everywhere he went.
Tebow, 31, has a .244 average in 210 minor league games. Last month, Mets GM Brodie Van Wagenen — who once served as Tebow’s agent — said Tebow was one step away from being big league player.
“If we somehow suffered an injury and we needed somebody to replace Brandon Nimmo or Michael Conforto in the starting lineup, and if Tim Tebow is the best offensive player in Triple-A at that point in time, he’s going to be in Mickey [Calloway]’s lineup,” Van Wagenen said on WFAN in December.
Tebow is expected to open the 2019 season playing for the Mets’ new Triple-A affiliate in Syracuse.