Yoenis Cespedes missing after not reporting to ballpark for Sunday’s Mets-Braves game
By Mike Luciano
The New York Mets have no idea where Yoenis Cespedes is right now.
There’s no such thing as a slow news day in 2020, and there’s no such thing as a slow news day when discussing the New York Mets. In a classic case of Mets oddities meeting the absurd news cycle 2020 offers us, star slugger Yoenis Cespedes has gone AWOL and isn’t in contact with anyone on the team.
The Mets have put out an APB on Cespedes, who was not penciled into the lineup by Luis Rojas against the Atlanta Braves today, as he did not arrive at the ballpark and attempts to contact him have been unsuccessful.
BREAKING: The Mets don't know where Yoenis Cespedes is.
— Tim Healey (@timbhealey) August 2, 2020
Team statement: "As of game time, Yoenis Céspedes has not reported to the ballpark today. He did not reach out to management with any explanation for his absence. Our attempts to contact him have been unsuccessful."
Yoenis Cespedes has played a vital role for the Mets so far this season.
Cespedes missed the entire 2019 season due to injury, and the Cuban slugger wasted no time reminding Mets fans of what a unique talent he is both at the plate and in the field. In addition to showing off his laser arm, Cespedes has crushed two home runs this season, including one in his first game back in action.
Cespedes was supposed to give Pete Alonso some protection in the heart of the order, but his dereliction of duty following his removal from the lineup has the Mets frantically searching for his whereabouts.
Cespedes has been DH’ing exclusively this season, which means Dominic Smith is the most likely candidate to replace his production in the lineup of Cespedes’ absence turns into an extended one.
BREAKING: Yoenis Céspedes did not show up to the ballpark today, nor give the Mets any explanation why.
— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) August 2, 2020
In a statement, the Mets say their attempts to contact him "have been unsuccessful."
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Any baseball concerns that might arise due to Cespedes’ extended absence are completely secondary right now. All Mets fans can do at this moment is hope that Cespedes is all right, reestablishes contact with the team soon, and provides some clarity as to what happened.