Mets: Latest injury could end frustrating season for Yoenis Cespedes
Yoenis Cespedes could miss the rest of the season with another strained hamstring, capping a frustrating year for the Mets slugger.
The New York Mets have been crushed under the weight of injuries this season, and it always seems like another one is right around the corner. The latest victim is a player who has already spent time on the disabled list this year.
The team announced that outfielder Yoenis Cespedes has been placed on the 10-day DL with a right hamstring strain, per ESPN.com. Veteran infielder Jose Reyes has been activated to take his spot on the roster.
The news isn’t exactly surprising, as Cespedes was removed from the first inning of yesterday’s 4-2 win over the Nationals after injuring himself while running the bases. The Cuban slugger has been no stranger to the trainer’s room in 2017. He dealt with a strain in his other hamstring earlier in the season, along with a right quad issue.
To make matters worse, the latest injury could very well spell the end of Cespedes’ season. After last night’s game, general manager Sandy Alderson said,
“I’d say [his] season is in jeopardy . . . I wouldn’t necessarily expect it [to] be as long, but we don’t have that much time left in the season. Very disappointing.”
Cespedes missed about six weeks from late April to early June with his previous hamstring ailment.
The 31-year-old outfielder hasn’t enjoyed the season the Mets envisioned when they signed him to a new contract last offseason, as far as staying on the field is concerned. After opting out of his previous agreement, he inked a four-year, $110 million deal, the richest in franchise history.
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When Cespedes has taken the field this season, he’s produced at the level we’ve grown accustomed to seeing from him. In 80 games, he’s slashed .292/.350/.540 with 17 home runs and 42 RBI. His 130 wRC+ is the lowest of the last three years, but not by much: Cespedes posted a 135 mark in 2015, and 134 last season.
While the Mets will certainly be satisfied with those numbers coming from the big bat in the middle of their lineup, they’re less thrilled that he’s missed 47 of the team’s 127 games so far this year. And if Cespedes does fail to return in 2017, he’ll have played just under half the season.
Injuries happen, but for a club that doesn’t tend to hand out weighty contracts, it’s not what you want to see right out of the gate from your big investment.
With the team a distant 12.5 games out of a playoff spot, there’s no need for the Mets to rush Cespedes – or, to be honest, any player coping with more than a minor injury right now – back before the end of the campaign. The best thing they can do is put him, along with other key pieces currently on the shelf like Michael Conforto and Noah Syndergaard, in the best position to rebound quickly in 2018.
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The Mets hope a reasonably healthy season from the their roster next year will naturally result in better results in the standings. If Cespedes does his usual thing next year over a standard number of games, they’ll have to feel significantly better about their chances.