Jay Bruce dealing with sore heel, won’t play for at least a few days

Outfielder Jay Bruce, who signed a three-year deal with the Mets over the offseason, has a sore heel and will not play until at least Tuesday, according to Mike Puma. And Matt Ehalt adds that Bruce is dealing with plantar fasciitis.

On just the second day of the Grapefruit League schedule, Bruce is the third player to not get into game action. Dom Smith was removed from the lineup for spring opener after showing up late to a team meeting on Friday morning, and we learned earlier today that Juan Lagares is dealing with leg tightness that’s keeping him out of the lineup.

Bruce spent most of last year with the Mets before he was dealt to the contending Cleveland Indians. In total, he hit .254/.324/.508 with 36 home runs and a 118 wRC+. He fared slightly better in his stint with the Mets than the Indians, though his numbers in both places were pretty good.

The Mets brought Bruce back in part because of question marks they have on their roster. Michael Conforto is set to miss time as he works his way back from the shoulder injury he suffered last year, Lagares has always had a tough time staying healthy, and Yoenis Cespedes had a pretty good track record health-wise previously but missed significant time last year with leg issues.