Sports

Mets ‘very’ concerned about Cespedes as his injury reappears

Yoenis Cespedes’ quad injury is back.

The left fielder pulled himself after one inning Sunday against the Rockies at Citi Field because of a tight right quadriceps. Cespedes has had a history of injuries with the same quad that has landed him on the disabled list in each of the last two seasons, but he said this wasn’t exactly the same.

“This time was different than years before,” Cespedes said after the Mets lost their sixth straight game, 3-2. “I just made the decision, as a precaution, to avoid any serious injuries.”

Brandon Nimmo replaced Cespedes in left field to start the second inning.

Cespedes had singled in the bottom of the first and then raced from first to third on a single by Asdrubal Cabrera. He later scored on a sacrifice fly by Todd Frazier to give the Mets a 2-0 lead, but did not return to the field after that.





Asked if he would play Monday in Cincinnati, Cespedes was noncommittal.

“I don’t know,” he said. “Maybe.”

For an offense that has gone cold, scoring two or fewer runs in five of their last six games, a prolonged absence from Cespedes would be a crushing blow.

“Very,” Frazier said when asked how concerned he was about Cespedes. “When anybody has to come out, especially a big dog like that. … I didn’t get to see what happened or how he’s feeling yet, but hopefully he can bounce back quick.”

Cespedes had been slumping himself before recording 14 hits in his last 39 at-bats leading up to his exit.

The team originally announced Cespedes’ departure was due to hip tightness and manager Mickey Callaway later said it was the “hip/groin area,” but Cespedes clarified it was his quad. He said it first flared up on Saturday when he grounded into a double play. He never grounded into a double play Saturday, but did ground into a fielder’s choice in the eighth inning and went on to steal second.





“Today, I warmed up but I felt [it] again,” he said.

Cespedes already avoided a trip to the disabled list earlier this season when X-rays for a thumb injury came back negative. He has played in all 32 games this season. The Mets will hope for another quick recovery this time around.

“We’ll have to see how he comes in [Monday],” Callaway said.





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