Yoenis Cespedes says he’s healthy, ready for Opening Day

Mets outfielder Yoenis Cespedes hits a home run during a spring training game against the Astros on March 11 in Port St. Lucie, Fla. Credit: AP / John Bazemore
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Yoenis Cespedes declared himself fully healthy and ready for Opening Day after his first baseball action of the week Saturday.
The Mets leftfielder went 1-for-6 in a minor-league intra- squad game, finishing with a single to center, two flyouts to center and three strikeouts.
Cespedes said through a translator that he has no discomfort in his right wrist. Soreness in that area sidelined him starting with Monday’s off day through Saturday morning, and he received a cortisone shot Tuesday.
“I’m not going to be able to play anymore —ever. Forever,” Cespedes joked. “No, I’m fine.”
Cespedes will take at-bats in a minor-league game again Sunday. He said he would have been able to play in the Mets’ Grapefruit League game, he said, but it’s against the Orioles in Sarasota, nearly three hours away.
“It’s too far,” Cespedes said in English.
As a veteran, Cespedes has the privilege of skipping long road trips. He’ll return to major-league games starting Monday, when the Mets visit the Astros in West Palm Beach.
Cespedes said he had a similar experience — soreness, a cortisone shot, a few days down — with his left wrist in 2016. That helped him understand what he was experiencing and how he was supposed to feel this time.
Spring training has featured a few stops and starts for Cespedes, who missed a few days because of right shoulder soreness and a few more this past week.
As was the case with the shoulder issue, Cespedes said he pretty much expected it.
“I spent the whole offseason doing nothing athletically [with baseball],” Cespedes said. “But I know that when I come back and show up in spring training, a couple of things are supposed to happen.
“I’m [mindful of] my body, I want to take care of my body. But so far my body feels good.”
Outfielder Michael Conforto (left shoulder surgery) also played in the minors scrimmage, going 0-for-4 with two walks.
“No pain, no problems. I guess not much more to report,” Conforto said. “Still got to get the timing back. It’s just another step, another day. A couple ABs closer. I’m looking forward to doing it again [Sunday].”
Conforto has four walks in 11 plate appearances across two days. His eye for strikes is there, even if his timing isn’t.
“I have the plate awareness,” he said. “I feel like that’s something else I’m working on, keeping my zone sharp and making sure I’m swinging at the right stuff.”
Conforto has not played defense yet — maybe Sunday, he said — but isn’t worried about his fitness there. He has adjusted his strength and conditioning to keep his legs strong.
Cespedes and Conforto took their first at-bats against left-hander David Peterson, the Mets’ first-round draft pick last year, and came away impressed.
But Conforto made sure to note that he got the best of Peterson. Conforto played for Oregon State, chief rival of Peterson’s Oregon team.
“I walked,’’ Conforto said with a smile, “so I won.’’



