The New York Mets and the New York Yankees are scheduled to face off at Citi Field starting Friday night but the Mets will be missing one of their biggest sluggers for the series.
The New York Mets do not want to face the New York Yankees this weekend. Do we know that for a fact? Not necessarily but the Mets are riding a six-game losing streak and the Yankees are, well, the Yankees.
According to a report by Mike Puma on Twitter, the Mets will likely be missing Yoenis Cespedes.
Cespedes ran in the outfield, bases, etc. Was told not to expect him for the Subway Series, but Mets officials are still discussing a plan.
— Mike Puma (@NYPost_Mets) June 6, 2018
Could it still happen? Sure. However, it seems like Cespedes won’t be suiting up against the boys in pinstripes.
The 32-year-old outfielder might not make much of a difference even if he did play against the Yankees. So far in the 2018 season, he’s batting .255 with eight home runs and 28 RBI.
Cespedes has been missing from the lineup since May 16 when he was placed on the disabled list with a hip flexor strain. He’ll likely be activated after the Yankees series in their home park.
While his numbers aren’t great this season, Cespedes is a pretty solid lifetime hitter against the crosstown rivals. Cespedes has played in 41 games against the Bombers and has a lifetime .274/.329/.466 line.
Besides, the Yankees are coming into town with 40 wins and coming off of a two-game sweep of the Toronto Blue Jays. And they’ve got Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and Gary Sanchez in the starting lineup, which is a recipe for endless amounts of home runs.
Who knows? The Mets could come out of the gate and take the Yankees by surprise during this three-game set. However, without Cespedes, I’m not sure they will be up to the challenge.
