Yoenis Cespedes was in the lineup for the New York Mets on Wednesday, but he strained his quad and will now be placed on the 15-day DL.
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The New York Mets traded for Jay Bruce at the trade deadline, hoping to team the former Cincinnati Reds slugger with their top deadline pick up of last season, Yoenis Cespedes. On Wednesday, that all went out the window, as a hobbled Cespedes was placed on the 15-day disabled list.
After going 1-5 as the Mets designated hitter on Wednesday, it was announced that Cespedes would be put on the shelf. Mets manager Terry Collins had hoped to start Cespedes at DH for the five straight games in American League ballparks, but he will now have to rest his quad in hopes of a return in a few weeks.
Prior to the game on Wednesday, Cespedes was out playing golf, which is not a smart move considering he was hurting already.
ESPN’s Adam Rubin tweeted out the news after the Mets loss to the Yankees.
Summary: Cespedes DL. Nimmo returning. Robles upset Tex stealing signs. Matz said didn't hit Tex on purpose, but understands suspicion.
— Adam Rubin (@AdamRubinMedia) August 4, 2016
Earlier in the day, first baseman Lucas Duda suffered a setback in his recovery from a back injury. The team will now sit him down for another 30 days, which will likely end his season.
“It doesn’t look good,” Mets GM Sandy Alderson said of Duda’s prospects for a return.
For now, the Mets will have to rely on outfielder Michael Conforto to pick up the slack in the middle of the lineup, but he has struggled this season. After starting the season off hot at the plate, Conforto played so bad that he was demoted back to the minor leagues, so the Mets may be grasping at straws at this point.
Prospect Brandon Nimmo will return from Triple-A Las Vegas to replace Cespedes on the active roster, and will be expected to produce as the Mets look to stay in the hunt for the National League Wildcard.
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