New York Mets outfielder Yoenis Céspedes goes yard on a Seth Lugo pitch during Sunday’s live batting practice.
Will Yoenis Céspedes return to his All-Star form in 2020 after missing much of the last two seasons? Only time will tell, but New York Mets fans surely received a glimpse of what Céspedes can bring to the table on Sunday.
During live batting practice in Port St. Lucie, Yo smacked a home run off Seth Lugo.
Céspedes hasn’t hit a home run in a regular-season matchup since July 20, 2018. In the midst of a 7-5 victory over the New York Yankees, the veteran outfielder went 2-for-4 with a solo shot.
He missed the majority of that 2018 campaign due to having surgery on both of his heels. He then succumbed to more missed time due to a fractured ankle suffered on his ranch. Céspedes sat for the entire 2019 season.
The last year he played over 100 games in was 2016. During that All-Star season, Céspedes hit 31 home runs with 86 RBIs and a slash line of .280/.354/.530 through 132 games.
It’s unclear how much playing time Céspedes will receive once the regular season arrives. The ballclub saw a productive campaign from J.D. Davis in left field last year. Davis played 79 games in that spot. Overall, he hit 22 home runs with 57 RBIs and a slash line of .307/.369/.527 through 140 total games.
The Mets most recently took part in split-squad matchups on Sunday. One squad fell to the Miami Marlins 7-1 while the other ousted the Washington Nationals 3-1. New York will continue its spring training slate with a 1:10 p.m. ET matchup with the Marlins on Tuesday.