In what’s been a rare occurrence over the last few months, the New York Mets actually had a pretty fun night of baseball.
The Mets came away with a 7-5 win over the Yankees on Friday night at Yankee Stadium. Noah Syndergaard gave them five innings of one-run ball on the mound, and Yoenis Cespedes hit a home run in his first game back from the disabled list (he’d last played May 13). Granted, it was a 326-foot cheapie, but a dinger nonetheless.
Too high, too high…Doink! 💥 #LaPotencia pic.twitter.com/XGdAQl8e5y
— New York Mets (@Mets) July 21, 2018
However, the game was followed by some concerning comments from Cespedes.
The 32-year-old told the media that his leg injuries have been caused by calcification in both heels, and the only way to fix the issue is through surgery. And if he gets surgery, he’s looking at a recovery period of 8-to-10 months. He’s considering getting surgery in the offseason, but isn’t sure if he’ll be able to play through it the rest of the season.
Cespedes says that the cause of his medical issues is calcification in both heels. He says the only way to fix the issue is surgery. He’s considering it for the off-season, but the recovery time is apparently 8-10 months.
— Steve Gelbs (@SteveGelbs) July 21, 2018
Cespedes was asked if he could get through this season, he shrugged and said he didn’t know.
— Steve Gelbs (@SteveGelbs) July 21, 2018
So, this isn’t good, and is quite Metsy.
If Cespedes is looking at being out 8-to-10 months, why wouldn’t the Mets just have him get the surgery now? They’re 40-55 and 13.5 games out of first place (and 13 games out of a Wild Card slot). It’s a lost season.
2019 isn’t yet a lost season for the Mets, but it would certainly be on the way to being ugly if their star slugger is out most — if not all — of the season following surgery in the winter. If he gets the surgery now, he could potentially be ready for Opening Day, or at least by the first few months of the 2019 season. He isn’t even sure if he can play through the issue for the rest of the season. Seriously, what good comes from him playing right now and delaying the inevitable surgery?
Obviously Cespedes wants to play through it, because he’s a competitor. But this is one where the organization needs to step in and make the call. Of course, the Mets have shown time and time again to handle these situations poorly, so we shouldn’t be surprised.
Update: Yoenis Cespedes will undergo an MRI and see a foot specialist. This seems like something you should do before bringing the player off the DL, but better late than never, I guess.
The Mets now say Yoenis Cespedes will undergo an MRI and meet with a foot specialist early next week. It does not seem likely that he will play tomorrow.
— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) July 21, 2018
When asked if Yoenis Cespedes might play Sunday, Mickey Callaway did not say no. Instead, he said: "I think we still have to evaluate when he comes in tomorrow, see how he feels."
Callaway then said Cespedes will undergo an MRI and see a foot specialist next week. So, yeah.
— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) July 21, 2018
