Mets’ Escobar recovers
By all accounts, Eduardo Escobar was exhausted Friday, but he avoided a serious medical issue.
The Mets infielder spent most of the previous night at the hospital after arriving at Citi Field in obvious discomfort, which left teammates concerned. Escobar revealed after the Mets’ 10-4 victory over the Marlins that a headache and dizziness caused his hospital visit.
A night earlier, the team called Escobar’s situation a “nonworkplace event.”
Escobar returned to the team on Friday, and was available off the bench against the Marlins, but did not play. Escobar expects he will rejoin the starting lineup Saturday and said these symptoms were a first for him.
“But also I have been feeling some pressure in my ears the last couple of days and I think that has been causing the dizziness,” Escobar said through an interpreter. “But they have been giving me some medications to ease that so I should be getting better soon.”
Escobar said he first experienced the dizziness while taking grounders Thursday and alerted the trainers.
“Talking to [Escobar], he says he feels better and that makes me much happier,” Francisco Lindor said. “But [Thursday] I was worried. I don’t want anything to happen to any of us and to our families and not seeing him well and not smiling and being himself, it concerned me.”
Lindor’s initial concern was that Escobar had COVID-19. “The way he was looking and whenever you see somebody with the mask you say maybe that’s it,” Lindor said. “But it’s not COVID.”
Luis Guillorme started a second straight game at third base Friday, and went 1-for-4 with a run, as Escobar attempted to get some sleep. Manager Buck Showalter said Escobar was at the hospital deep into the early hours of Friday morning receiving various tests.
“He had quite the night, and not working on a whole lot of rest, but finally got through with all the testing and I think he’s into trying to catch up on some rest in the locker room,” Showalter said.
Lindor said he retreated to the clubhouse multiple times Thursday night to check with the trainers about Escobar’s situation. Later, Lindor received a text message from Escobar, saying doctors were checking his vision.
“He was not himself,” Lindor said. “He was disoriented.”
The 33-year-old has a .236/.301/ .397 slash line with five homers and 25 RBIs. On June 6 at San Diego, he became the first Mets player in a decade to hit for the cycle.
“I’m used to having him next to me or in the dugout or talking to him,” Lindor said. “When I am struggling he tries to help me, we go back and forth. He is one of the leaders on the team, and he’s definitely a good presence to have in the clubhouse.
“He definitely brings happiness to the team and he works hard, he plays hard. He’s a mentor. … That’s how special he is. He is very respected around here.”