Yoenis Cespedes exits game with hip tightness

Yoenis Cespedes left today’s game after the first inning with hip tightness, according to the Mets. He was replaced by Brandon Nimmo in left field.

Cespedes had already made a nice play in the field, ranging into foul territory and reaching over the wall to retire Gerardo Parra. Cespedes also singled in the bottom of the first and could be seen trying to massage his hip while standing on first base. He was moving well on the base paths, going first to third on a single by Asdrubal Cabrera, but could be seen again flexing his leg while standing on third base.

Between Cespedes being removed from the game and the news that Jacob deGrom’s start will be skipped tomorrow, despite experiencing no discomfort during his bullpen session yesterday, it seems that the Mets are taking an abundance of caution when it comes to their star players. Despite his struggles at the plate, Cespedes still leads the Mets in both home runs and RBIs this season, while playing great outfield defense. Losing him for a prolonged would undoubtedly hurt the team, so exercising caution seems prudent.

Cespedes has dealt with hip soreness at times for the past couple of seasons, but it was never anything serious, only sidelining him for a day each time. It has been chronic leg problems that have held Cespedes out of the lineup for longer periods of time. And while Cespedes’ legs have looked healthy so far this year, he will rest up today in an effort to not exacerbate his hip issue.