Callaway safe; Cespedes falls
Mets chief operating officer
NEW YORK — Yoenis Cespedes took the fall, not Mickey Callaway.
On a hectic afternoon at Citi Field, the slumping Mets announced Monday they are sticking with their embattled manager “for the foreseeable future” — and that Cespedes broke his right ankle in an accident on his ranch.
The slugger has been sidelined most of the last two years and was recovering from surgery on both heels. The team hoped he could return after the AllStar break, but this setback puts Cespedes’ entire in jeopardy.
General manager Brodie Van Wagenen said the team was informed Saturday night that Cespedes got hurt on his ranch in Port St. Lucie, Florida.
“He had a violent fall in which he stepped in a hole and put his leg and foot in a difficult position,” Van Wagenen said.
The 33-year-old Cespedes enjoys riding horses. He told the team he did not fall off a horse, but Van Wagenen said the injury was not from a baseballrelated activity.
The Mets (20-25) season had lost a season-worst five straight and 21 of 32 heading into the opener of a seven-game homestand Monday night against Washington. With questions intensifying about Callaway’s job security in his second season, the Mets held a meeting Monday with players and coaches to declare support for Callaway and his staff.
“Mickey is our manager now. Mickey is our manager going forward,” Van Wagenen said at a news conference attended by chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon. “We’re not looking to blame a manager.”
Braves: The team added veteran help for a patchwork bullpen by acquiring right-hander Anthony Swarzak from Seattle for left-hander Jesse Biddle and right-hander Arodys Vizcaino. As part of Monday’s trade, Seattle is sending Atlanta $1,788,172 to cover about one-third of the $5,677,419 remaining in Swarzak’s $8 million salary this year. Vizcaino opened the season as Atlanta’s closer, then had seasonending surgery on his right shoulder on April 17. His replacement, A.J. Minter, struggled and was optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett on May 10. Swarzak has a 5.27 ERA and three saves in six chances this season for the Mariners.
Indians: RHP Corey Kluber will have an X-ray on Thursday to evaluate his right arm, broken when hit by a line drive on May 1. Kluber has had his arm in a cast since being injured. Manager Terry Francona said the cast could be removed and replaced with a removable splint, depending on the results of the X-ray. A two-time AL Cy Young Award winner, Kluber was diagnosed with a nondisplaced fracture to his ulna when struck by a line drive off the bat of Miami’s Brian Anderson. The Indians said surgery was not needed,
Yankees: SS Didi Gregorius played five innings of defense and went 2-for-4 with a walk at extended spring training in his first game action since Tommy John surgery on Oct. 17. Playing against Tigers minor leaguers and in front of Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner, Gregorius singled twice and cleanly fielded three grounders but had an error for an errant throw to first base. Gregorius appears on track to soon start a minor-league injury rehabilitation assignment with Class A Tampa and rejoin the Yankees in mid- to late June.
Red Sox: David Price returned to the Red Sox with another outstanding performance against the Blue Jays. The 33-year-old left-hander did not allow any earned runs over five innings in a 12-2 rout that improved his record against the Blue Jays to 22-3, including 13-1 in 18 starts at Toronto. “I enjoy this mound,” he said. “It feels close to home plate, so it’s just one of the places I enjoy throwing.” Price (2-2) had not pitched since May 2 due to left elbow tendinitis. He allowed three hits, struck out four and walked none.
Extra innings: Longtime Angels media relations director Tim Mead will take over from Jeff Idelson as president of baseball’s Hall of Fame on June 24, about a month ahead of schedule. Idelson, the Hall’s president since 2008, announced Feb. 4 that he planned to retire following this year’s Hall inductions on July 21. The Hall said on April 30 that Mead will succeed him but announced the accelerated transition on Monday . ... Cubs closer Brandon Morrow has started throwing again after experiencing a setback in his recovery from elbow surgery. President Theo Epstein said Morrow threw from 45 to 60 feet Monday in Arizona. The Cubs shut down Morrow’s rehab last month after he didn’t recover well from a bullpen session.