When the New York Mets and Toronto Blue Jays (ridiculously) played out the ninth inning of Wednesday’s 12-1 loss, Juan Lagares injured himself making a catch at the wall. The injury news is the worst case scenario, with Lagares likely out for the rest of the season after tearing a ligament in his big toe, MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo reports. Lagares will undergo surgery to repair the damage, but the recovery from that procedure will likely keep him out of action for the rest of the year.
This is a brutal break for Lagares, who was finally in line for more regular playing time thanks to Yoenis Cespedes’ latest DL stint. Lagares’ reworked swing appeared to be leading to better results, as he was hitting .339 on the year before he got hurt. This is the latest in a series of injuries for the talented Lagares, who has missed significant time in each of the past three years after getting hurt.
The news also leaves the Mets in a bind, as they went from five active outfielders on Tuesday night to just three today. Lefty Jerry Blevins was activated from the paternity list to take Lagares’ spot on the active roster, but the Mets need to find a way to get another outfielder up to Queens soon. The Mets’ backup outfielders at the moment are all primarily infielders: Phillip Evans, who started in left field against J.A. Happ on Wednesday, Wilmer Flores, and Jose Reyes. There are no other outfielders on the 40 man roster, but the Mets do have Matt den Dekker and Ty Kelly down in Triple-A. Righty Bryce Brentz would have been an option, but he is currently on the disabled list in Triple-A with a foot injury that should sideline him for a couple of weeks. Expect either den Dekker or Kelly to get a call to the bigs tomorrow, with the Mets hoping that Cespedes is ready to go when he is eligible to return from the DL on Thursday.
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