FORE BAGGER
Cespedes reveals why he’s putting his controversial golf clubs away
PORT ST. LUCIE — Yoenis Cespedes is limiting his sports obsession to baseball.
The Mets slugger hasn’t played golf since July, he said Thursday, and has no plans to resume during the season as he tries to remain focused on baseball and staying on the field for his team.
Cespedes decided to bag golf after receiving input from the team’s strength and conditioning coordinator, Mike Barwis. By avoiding golf, Cespedes was told he would receive better rest and recovery in addition to improving his hydration.
Cespedes told The Post he “sometimes” misses golf, and hasn’t found an activity to fill the void. Cespedes hasn’t even allowed himself visits to the driving range, helping him avoid the temptation to play.
Cespedes’ passion for golf has been a subject of controversy during his Mets tenure. Most notably, he was on the golf course in August 2016 (the visit was captured in a photo with former major leaguer Kevin Millar and posted on social media) on the same day he left a game against the Yankees with a quadriceps injury. He was later asked by general manager Sandy Alderson — who referred to the situation as “bad optics” — to cease playing golf during his time on the disabled list.
“Our doctors have told us that probably had no impact on the injury, positive or negative,” Alderson said at the time. “But let’s face it, to play golf during the day and then go out injured in the evening, it’s a bad visual. I think he recognizes that at this point. So we’ll go from there.”
Cespedes left Game 4 of the 2015 NLCS against the Cubs with a shoulder injury, hours after playing golf.
Cespedes, who had indicated he might pursue a career on the PGA Tour after he is finished with baseball, resumed playing golf after his return from the DL in 2016 and continued into last season.
Under Barwis’ guidance, Cespedes is focusing on flexibility exercises such as yoga this spring in an attempt to stay healthy. Last season Cespedes was limited to 81 games because of leg injuries that twice sidelined him for extended periods. Included was a strained hamstring in late August that ended his season.
Cespedes played 1 59 games for the Tigers and Mets in 2015 and indicated his goal this season is to return to playing that consistently while pursuing a Most Valuable Player award.
“I want to be an MVP, that hasn’t changed,” he said this week. “Last season I wasn’t lucky because I got hurt, but that is my main goal, to become an MVP.”
In addition to yoga, Cespedes added running to his offseason workout routine.
“My muscles are more flexible right now,” Cespedes said. “When I used to work out with heavy weight lifting I had strength, but I wasn’t flexible. Right now I am flexible.”