‘Game situations’ for Ces
Yoenis Cespedes was back in the Mets starting lineup Tuesday, a day after being lifted from the game with a sore left heel, but he was taken out again in the fifth — this time “due to game situations.” That’s how sensitive Cespedes’ health situation has become, that after he was lifted to get him off his feet in a blowout, the team felt the need to make this unsual announcement that it was not health related.
Cespedes was jovial before the game and said his leg felt good and his heal felt “better, much better.”
If there was any doubt about his sore left heel, Cespedes lined a RBI double down the left field line in the first inning and singled later in the third.
“He’s fine. I just told him we’re not taking another (chance). Matter of fact, the second inning, he stood out in the field for a long time,” Collins said of the Cubs seven-run second inning. “If you got tendinitis one of the worst things that can happen is stand out there. I actually wanted to get him another at-bat, but I just said that’s enough.”
Cespedes had returned to the lineup on Saturday after he missed 37 games on the disabled list with a strained left hamstring.
He is 5-for-11 with a home run and five RBI since his return.
CONFORTO BACKS OUT
Now, it’s Michael Conforto. The outfielder was out of the starting lineup for the second straight game with a stiff back.
Juan Lagares was penciled in as his replacement and went 1-for-3 with a stolen base, run scored and two strikeouts. Collins said on Monday that Conforto would be able to pinch hit, but when asked about that on Tuesday he said, “I don’t think so.”
SMOKE ’EM IF YOU GOT ’EM
Josh Smoker pitched four innings of much-needed relief after Zack Wheeler was chased in the second. The lefty, who had not pitched in a week, gave up three runs on six hits on a whopping 81 pitches.
“He saved us. We could have burned out a lot of pitching tonight. I tell ya, he sucked it up and went out there and pitched some tough innings and I really appreciated it,” Collins said. Smoker, who has been struggling lately, could be rewarded with a trip back to the minors if the Mets need to make a roster move to protect their bullpen . ...
The Mets loaded up on six more pitchers in the draft. Tony DiBrell, Marcell Renteria, Connor O’Neil, Trey Cobb, Cannon Chadwick and Stephen Villines were taken in the fourth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth and 10th rounds, respectively. The Mets also drafted a pair of outfielders from Stanford, Quinn Brodey and Matt Winaker.
They join David Peterson, a left-handed pitcher and Mark Vientos, a third baseman, as the Mets’ 2017 draft picks.