New York Mets star outfielder Yoenis Cespedes is leaning towards having surgery on his heel that would end his 2018 season.
The New York Mets entered play on July 24 with 40 wins against MLB teams and zero wins against injuries. Noah Syndergaard returned to action, made two starts, and landed on the disabled list again with hand, foot, and mouth disease.
Yoenis Cespedes finally returned Friday July 20 against the Yankees, hitting a home run as the designated hitter. After making his first appearance in over two months, he missed two games and the team announced via Twitter that he would be returning to the DL.
We've selected the contracts of Jeff McNeil and Phillip Evans from Las Vegas, placed Yoenis Céspedes on the 10-Day DL and designated Ty Kelly for assignment. #Mets
— New York Mets (@Mets) July 24, 2018
Some might think this is it. Those people have not been following the Mets recently. Mike Puma of the New York Post reports on Twitter that Cespedes is leaning towards having surgery on his heel to correct his chronic issues.
Mets are preparing to announce Cespedes will be placed on the DL. As of this morning he was leaning toward season ending surgery.
— Mike Puma (@NYPost_Mets) July 24, 2018
The surgery would place Cespedes out of action for eight to 10 months. If he has it soon (which he should since the Mets are well out of contention), he’ll be lined up to return anywhere from the end of March to the end of May/beginning of June (depending on when the surgery actually occurs). Should he wait for the end of the season he would miss at least half of 2019.
The heel issue was also a source of drama for the Mets over the weekend, as manager Mickey Callaway was completely unaware of the fact that his star outfielder was considering surgery that would have him out for almost a year.
In the increasingly likely event that Cespedes’ season is over, it will be a disappointing season for the slugger. He has played only 38 games and has hit only .262. His nine home runs and 29 RBIs in those 38 games are strong, but his story is another lost season due to injury, leading some to wonder if his contract was a mistake.
However, Cespedes can change that narrative if he is able to move past his chronic heel injuries and help the Mets contend next year.
