Yoenis Cespedes legs out infield hit against Yankees
Jay Bruce #19 and Yoenis Cespedes #52 of the New York Mets warm up before a game against the New York Yankees at Citi Field on Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2016. Credit: Jim McIsaac
When Yoenis Cespedes sprinted down the line on Tuesday night to beat out a grounder, manager Terry Collins kept his eye on the slugger, looking for any sign of struggle. He saw none.
But after the Mets’ 7-1 win, Cespedes revealed that he once again felt discomfort in his strained right quad, which has placed him on the brink of landing on the disabled list.
“I felt a little discomfort running down the line but once I got into the dugout it went away,” Cespedes said through a translator, after pinch-hitting, his first game action since Saturday night.
The schedule will bring some reprieve. Beginning with Wednesday night’s Subway Series game at Yankee Stadium, the Mets will play their next five games at American League parks. That means they have the use of the designated hitter, Collins a chance to get the benefit of Cespedes’ bat without the risk of playing him in the field.
The Mets have played short of late, all in the interest of protecting their best hitter. Cespedes leads the Mets in average (.291), homers (22) and RBIs (58). He insists the condition is improving, though his leg remains an issue.
Said Cespedes: “The problem is once I take a few days off I feel better, but once I go full speed is when the pain returns.”
Roster reshuffling
The Mets clubhouse swarmed with new faces on Tuesday, part of a roster reshuffling brought on by the trade deadline and another wave of injuries.
Outfielder Jay Bruce and lefty Jonathon Niese were officially added to the roster. Also, lefty reliever Josh Edgin returned to the big leagues for the first time since undergoing Tommy John surgery. He along with utlityman Ty Kelly were promoted from Triple-A Las Vegas.
Meanwhile, outfielder Brandon Nimmo was demoted, capping a wild few days in which his name was at the center of trade rumors. Reliever Seth Lugo was also sent to Triple-A Las Vegas, with Niese expected to be used as a long reliever.
The Mets added shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera (strained patella tendon left knee) and outfielder Justin Ruggiano (pulled left hamstring) to the disabled list.
