Injury will keep Ces outta center
MIAMI — Yoenis Cespedes was back in the lineup Friday night after missing Wednesday’s game to nurse his strained right quad. The Cuban slugger has missed five games and the injury will probably nag him the rest of the season.
“It all depends how much you’re on base and a lot of the other things,” Terry Collins said Friday. “Here in Miami, with this outfield as big as it is, it can become a big factor because you’ve got to go roam around a big territory.
“It’s really hard when you’re playing to have an injury like that and really get 100%,” the Mets manager acknowledged, “but if you take care of it and it’s wrapped and get enough stretching hopefully it doesn’t get any worse.”
Cespedes went 1-for-2 with two sac fly RBI in the Mets’ 5-3 win over the Marlins. He missed one line drive in left, appearing to lose it in the lights, but the Mets need his bat.
Cespedes left the July 8 game against the Nationals with the injury, missed the two games before the All-Star break and two games coming out of it. He returned and played three straight games, going 1-for-10 and looking limited in the outfield.
He has also told the Mets he does not feel he will be able to play center field the rest of the season because of the injury, a team source said. Against lefty Adam Conley Friday, Juan Lagares was in center and Cespedes in left.
Collins gave Cespedes Wednesday off with the hope that two days of straight rest (Thursday was an off day) would help his leg.
“I think it can be very beneficial, especially when you’re fighting something like Cespedes is,” Collins said. “They are the guys when you give them a blow once in awhile they need it and the second day may help. Ces, when you’re fighting an injury, that’s really a necessity to get an extra day.”
HISTORY AWAITS
Count Rene Rivera and Travis d’Arnaud among those who are excited to possibly have a chance to see Ichiro Suzuki get his 3,000th hit in MLB.
The 42-year-old Suzuki struck
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TEST YOUR MET IQ
Mike Piazza will be enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame Sunday. How many times during his eight years with the Mets was he an All-Star?
NEXT GAME
Saturday at Miami, 7:10 p.m., Jacob deGrom (6-4, 2.38) vs. Jose Fernandez (11-4, 2.53). TV: Ch. 11 out in a pinch-hit at-bat Friday night, leaving four hits from the milestone, but both Mets said they’d love to be here when he does it.
“Hopefully we’re up 10-0 and he gets the single,” d’Arnaud said. “How many chances do you get to see someone get their 3,000th hit?”
Collins isn’t among those who is hoping to see it up close and personal, but the Mets manager believes Suzuki’s career deserves to be celebrated in the Hall of Fame eventually.
“He’s a great player. You’re talking 3,000 hits (in the) United States and 4,000 hits total. I don’t care where you’re playing, that’s a lot of hits, and he’s not only done it, he’s continued to do it. He’s having as big a year as anybody,” Collins said.
Suzuki is batting .341 in 81 games over 179 at-bats this season. “He’s amazing and keeps himself in tremendous shape,” Collins said. “I don’t care how old he is, this guy is playing like he’s 30 years old again and I’m happy for him. And obviously my time in Japan, he was a great star, so we have a lot of mutual friends over there and I think it’s really cool and honored to call him a friend. Everybody is excited for him and hope he waits until we’re out of town to get the 3,000 hits.”