Kevin Plawecki, Hansel Robles to start rehab with Triple-A Las Vegas
Mets catcher Kevin Plawecki is congratulated after scoring on a single by Adrian Gonzalez against the Marlins on April 11 in Miami. Credit: AP / Lynne Sladky
Yoenis Cespedes isn’t one of them, but two injured Mets will be getting back on the field.
The Mets announced that catcher Kevin Plawecki and reliever Hansel Robles will begin injury rehab assignments with Triple-A Las Vegas on Wednesday.
Plawecki has been out since April 12 with a non-displaced fracture of his left hand. Robles has been out since May 9 with a sprained right knee.
The Mets acquired Devin Mesoraco from the Reds for Matt Harvey after Travis d’Arnaud went out for the season with an elbow tear and Plawecki was hit by a pitch and went on the DL.
Mesoraco didn’t start on Tuesday night against Miami because of a swollen left elbow suffered on Monday when he was hit by a backswing from Brian Anderson. Mesoraco stayed in Monday’s game; X-rays were negative and he pinch hit for starting catcher Thomas Nido in the seventh inning Tuesday and stayed in the game.
In other injury news, Juan Lagares will have surgery Thursday to repair the complete tear of his left big toe plantar plate. The Mets fear Lagares will miss the rest of the season.
As for Cespedes, manager Mickey Callaway said the slugger is hitting indoors, but has not done any other baseball activities. Cespedes was placed on the disabled list on May 16 with a hip flexor strain.
“He’s just trying to heal every day,” Callaway said. “He’s hitting in the cage, trying to get it where he’s in a spot where he can go out and do the everyday things that you have to do to make that next step to play in games.”
Without Lagares and Cespedes, the Mets started two lefthanded-hitting outfielders on Tuesday against Miami lefty Caleb Smith.
Swarzak throws
Reliever Anthony Swarzak, who hasn’t pitched this season because of a strained left oblique, threw a bullpen session in Port St. Lucie, Florida.
Anthony Rieber covers baseball, as well as the NFL, NBA and NHL. He has worked at Newsday since Aug. 31, 1998, and has been in his current position since July 5, 2004.
