Mets place Yoenis Cespedes on disabled list, recall Phillip Evans

The New York Mets have placed Yoenis Cespedes on the 10-day disabled list, retroactive to May 14. The move ends the debate about whether the Mets should place their star left fielder on the disabled list to allow his leg injury to properly heal. To take his place on the roster, the Mets have recalled utility infielder Phillip Evans from Triple-A.

Yoenis Cespedes has been bothered by nagging leg injuries over the past few weeks. It was initially believed that Cespedes was battling a quad injury, which kept him out of the lineup against the Cincinnati Reds on last Wednesday. Cespedes returned to the lineup in the series against the Philadelphia Phillies and recorded three hits over eight at-bats. After hitting a solo home run during Sunday’s loss, Mickey Callaway described Cespedes’ performance as “gutting it out for the team.”

An MRI on Tuesday revealed that Cespedes had a mild strain of his right hip, which prompted the Mets to hold him out of the lineup for Tuesday night’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays. Though Cespedes was available to pinch-hit, the move certainly seemed to foreshadow a disabled list trip. Cespedes is eligible to return off on Thursday, May 24 in Milwaukee. In his absence, the Mets will most likely play Michael Conforto in left field, keep Jay Bruce in right field, and platoon Brandon Nimmo and Juan Lagares in center field.

Meanwhile, Evans, who made the team out of spring training and went hitless in three at-bats with the Mets, returns for the first time since his April 4 demotion. He has 30 hits, including nine home runs, in 118 at-bats with Las Vegas. Evans, who can play six different positions in the infield and outfield, will be a valuable utility asset off the bench for the Mets.