New York Mets outfielder Yoenis Céspedes finally breaks his silence and addresses the media at spring training.
It didn’t take long for Yoenis Céspedes to address the media after stating he wouldn’t be doing so this year. On Sunday, the New York Mets outfielder finally sat and spoke on staying motivated upon returning to the team. Céspedes missed all of last season due to numerous injuries, one of which he suffered in the infamous wild boar incident on his ranch in May 2019.
Sure, it’s a tough and weird spot to be in right now if you’re Céspedes. People are always going to ask you questions about the boar and what exactly occurred. Nonetheless, the veteran — who the Mets acquired in a trade in 2015 — is staying the course and looking for his play to do the talking.
When asked how motivated he is to succeed on a scale of one to 10, Céspedes answered, “twelve.”
“I think a big part of the motivation is the people who have been out there and have been saying that I can’t do it,” he said through team interpreter Alan Suriel, per Justin Toscano of northjersey.com. “So I’m going out there to prove that I can.”
Céspedes spoke very briefly about the boar incident, a situation that led to a fractured ankle and essentially ensured that he wouldn’t step onto the field in 2019. Prior to that, he was still supposed to miss time due to undergoing surgery on both heels.
“I committed an error and I paid the price for it,” he said. “But today I’ll be talking about the present and the future.”
Céspedes hasn’t played over 100 games in a season since his All-Star 2016 campaign. During that year — his first full season with the Mets — Yoenis smacked 31 home runs with 86 RBIs and a slash line of .280/.354/.530 through 132 appearances.
Per Toscano, Céspedes notes that he’ll be ready for Opening Day if he keeps progressing like he has. That specific game will be held at Citi Field on March 26 against the Washington Nationals. First pitch is set to take place at 1:10 p.m. ET.
