Cespedes has left Team Cuba in the World Baseball Classic for personal reasons, the Associated Press reports.
The former MLB slugger did not play in the last two games of the first round of the tournament, and went hitless in the two games he did play in. The 37-year-old could rejoin the team for the quarterfinal in Miami, but few specifics have been released as to why he's left the club or when he'll rejoin.
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Yoenis Cespedes: Schedules showcase for next week
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Cespedes intends to play in 2021 and plans to hold a showcase for major-league clubs in Florida on March 2, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.
The 35-year-old outfielder plans to resume his career after previously opting out of the 2020 season last August following eight games with the Mets. Though he was at full health for the start of the past season, Cespedes missed extensive time due to injuries over the preceding three years, appearing in a combined 127 games between 2017 and 2019. At this stage in his career, Cespedes is probably best suited for a part-time role at designated hitter with an American League club.
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Mets' Yoenis Cespedes: Moves to restricted list
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The Mets placed Cespedes on the restricted list Sunday after he informed the team he was opting out of the 2020 season.
The transaction opened up spots on the Mets' 30-man active roster, 40-man roster and 60-man roster pool. Before opting out, Cespedes appeared in eight games for the Mets and went 5-for-31 with two home runs and four RBI.
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Mets' Yoenis Cespedes: Opts out of 2020 season
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General manager Brodie Van Wagenen announced Sunday that Cespedes is opting out of the 2020 season for concerns related to COVID-19, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.
The 34-year-old never showed up to the ballpark for Sunday's game in Atlanta, and he apparently didn't inform the Mets that he was planning to opt out until the game was already underway, according to Tim Healey of Newsday. Cespedes is set to finish the season having appeared in eight games and going 5-for-31 with two home runs and four RBI. The veteran slugger is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2020 season. Dominic Smith seems the likely candidate to take over as the Mets' primary designated hitter.
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Mets' Yoenis Cespedes: Not at ballpark Sunday
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Cespedes didn't report to the ballpark for Sunday's game against the Braves and the team has been unable to contact him, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.
Cespedes was absent from Sunday's lineup for what appeared to be a standard day of rest, but there's apparently much more to the situation. The Mets have indicated he's safe but haven't provided specifics on the circumstances surrounding his absence, per Anthony DiComo of MLB.com.
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Mets' Yoenis Cespedes: Mets unsure of whereabouts
Rotowire
Cespedes didn't report to the ballpark for Sunday's game against the Braves and the team has been unable to contact him, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.
Cespedes was absent from Sunday's lineup for what appeared to be a standard day of rest, but there's apparently much more to the situation. Hopefully the 34-year-old is physically and mentally okay, and more information should be available as the situation continues to unfold.
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Mets' Yoenis Cespedes: Day off Sunday
Rotowire
Cespedes is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Braves, Deesha Thosar of the New York Daily News reports.
The veteran slugger is 1-for-12 with five strikeouts over the past three games and will receive a day to reset Sunday. Cespedes has a .622 OPS with two home runs and 15 strikeouts in 34 plate appearances this season.
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Mets' Yoenis Cespedes: Mashes second homer
Rotowire
Cespedes went 2-for-5 with a solo home run in Wednesday's loss to the Red Sox.
He socked his second homer of the year off Matt Barnes in the eighth inning but missed a chance to play hero in the ninth, striking out with the bases loaded in a one-run game. Cespedes is flashing his power but otherwise looks very rusty at the plate, slashing .211/.286/.526 through five games with a 1:10 BB:K.
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Mets' Yoenis Cespedes: Receives day off Monday
Rotowire
Cespedes isn't in the lineup for Monday's game against the Red Sox.
After blasting a home run in the Mets' Opening Day contest, Cespedes went 1-for-7 with one walk and five strikeouts over the last two games. He'll get a day off Monday with Dominic Smith taking over as the designated hitter, batting eighth.
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Mets' Yoenis Cespedes: Homers in return
Rotowire
Cespedes went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Friday's win against the Braves.
Cespedes was playing in his first game in over two years after coming back from a pair of heel surgeries and a fractured ankle, but he looked like his old self as he blasted a go-ahead solo shot in the seventh inning. The home run proved to be the only run of the game in the Opening Day pitching duel. While the 34-year-old is still reportedly limited while running, Friday's performance as the designated hitter showed that he can still be a force at the plate.
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Mets' Yoenis Cespedes: To serve as Opening Day DH
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Cespedes will be the Mets' designated hitter on Opening Day, Justin Toscano of The Bergen Record reports.
The game will be Cespedes' first in over two years, as he's missed time first due to a pair of heel surgeries and then due to a fractured ankle. The delayed season bought him extra time to get healthy, and while he's been told by team trainers to run at just 80 percent, per Anthony DiComo of MLB.com, he's considered at least healthy enough to hit. Whether or not he plays much in the field this season remains to be seen, but he'll be quite a useful bat for the Mets if he's truly healthy, as he owns a career .274/.328/.498 slash line over seven big-league seasons.
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Mets' Yoenis Cespedes: Getting in work this weekend
Rotowire
Cespedes is set to appear in both exhibition games against the Yankees this weekend, once as the designated hitter and once in left field, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.
It's unlikely the veteran slugger will play the whole game in either case, but it's still an excellent sign that Cespedes is on track to be in the Opening Day lineup. Expect him to get most of his at-bats as the Mets' DH, but if Cespedes demonstrates he can handle a defensive assignment as well, it would only boost his playing time.
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Mets' Yoenis Cespedes: Confident for Opening Day
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Cespedes (ankle) is confident that he'll be ready for Opening Day, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.
Cespedes has been participating in the Mets' intrasquad games during camp while recovering from a surgically repaired ankle, and he expressed optimism Saturday that he'll be ready for the start of the regular season. The 34-year-old has reached sprint speed in workouts during quarantine, but one of the main factors in his availability during the season will be his running ability.
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Mets' Yoenis Cespedes: Goes yard in intrasquad game
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Cespedes (ankle) crushed a home run to left field off Seth Lugo during Thursday's intrasquad game, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.
While it's great to see Cespedes' bat in what appears to be midseason form, he still isn't pushing too hard when it comes to the rest of his skill set -- he didn't even attempt to trot around the bases afterwards and simply walked to the dugout. The veteran's ability to run on his surgically repaired ankle and heels will be the biggest factor in determining how much playing time he sees in 2020, either at DH or in the outfield.
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Mets' Yoenis Cespedes: Sees action in outfield
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Cespedes (ankle) played one inning in left field during Sunday's simulated game, Deesha Thosar of The New York Daily News reports.
He was also one of the few batters to make any kind of solid contact against Jacob deGrom, though Cespedes didn't appear to be moving around at full speed on the bases or in the field. Cespedes will probably see most of his playing time this season as the Mets' designated hitter, but if he proves capable of handling defensive duties as well it gives the team another route to getting his bat in the lineup.
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Mets' Yoenis Cespedes: Reaches sprint speed
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Manager Luis Rojas said Friday that Cespedes (ankle) reached sprint speed during his workouts in quarantine, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.
GM Brodie Van Wagenen said early in the week he was "optimistic" about Cespedes being ready for Opening Day in late July, but few specifics were provided at the time. The 34-year-old has yet to arrive to the team facility, so Rojas said they'll have to wait to see him in person before potentially clearing him for full-speed baserunning. Cespedes had been taking live batting practice and shagging fly balls prior to the shutdown in March, but he had yet to begin running the bases. He's appeared in only 38 games since the start of 2018 due to an ankle fracture and heel surgeries, so once healthy he figures to be a major beneficiary of the universal designated hitter for the shortened season.
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Mets' Yoenis Cespedes: Nearing game readiness
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Mets general manager Brodie Van Wagenen said Monday that he's "optimistic" about Cespedes (ankle) being ready for game action when the team opens its season in late July, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports.
Other than indicating that Cespedes was in better shape now than he was when spring training shut down in mid-March, Van Wagenen didn't provide many specifics regarding where the 34-year-old stands in his recovery from ankle and heel surgeries. Before MLB's hiatus, Cespedes had been able to take live batting practice and was shagging flies in the outfield, but he hadn't yet progressed to running the bases. If he's able to complete a running program over the next three weeks without any complications, Cespedes should have a decent shot at reclaiming an everyday role with the Mets. Thanks to the implementation of the universal designated hitter, Cespedes wouldn't have to play left field as frequently as he's had to in the past, which would reduce the strain on his legs.
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Mets' Yoenis Cespedes: Could benefit from universal DH
Rotowire
Cespedes (ankle) would be the most likely candidate on the Mets to handle designated hitter duties if the DH is implemented universally during a season played entirely at spring training sites, Deesha Thosar of The New York Daily News reports.
The club does have other options for the DH spot, such as Matt Adams and Dominic Smith, in a realigned Grapefruit League that would include both NL and AL franchises. The Mets would be in a division with the Astros, Cardinals, Marlins and Nationals in the most recently proposed plan, necessitating a universal DH. Not requiring Cespedes to play defense as he continues his recovery from ankle and heel surgeries while keeping his bat in the lineup would be something of a best-case scenario for the Mets. The 34-year-old wasn't yet running the bases or taking part in fielding drills when MLB suspended play, and it's not clear how ready he will be to patrol the outfield once action resumes.
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Mets' Yoenis Cespedes: Progressing but still limited
Rotowire
Cespedes (ankle) has been hitting in simulated games and running in a straight line at full speed, but has yet to make full-speed changes of direction, David Lennon of Newsday reports.
Cespedes' right ankle evidently remains tender after it was fractured in multiple places during an encounter with a wild boar last May. He's making steady progress, but with less than three weeks remaining until Opening Day, it may be tough for him to avoid a trip to the injured list. The Mets have yet to announce their plans for the outfielder. If he does indeed miss time, more at-bats would open up for J.D. Davis in left field to begin the season.
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Mets' Yoenis Cespedes: Targeting mid-March spring debut
Rotowire
Cespedes (ankle) is hoping to play in spring games by the middle of March, Justin Toscano of The Bergen Record reports.
Cespedes has been able to hit and run early this spring, but he has not been cleared for all activities, so he will continue working out on the side for the time being. If Cespedes is able to jump into game action when he expects, he will have a shot to be ready for Opening Day.
