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Yoenis Cespedes Injury Update: New York Mets Slugger Says Hurt Shoulder Won’t Keep Him Out Of World Series

By Nathan Francis
Published on: 01:20 PST, Oct 22, 2015

Yoenis Cespedes was injured in the New York Mets’ NLCS clinching game against the Chicago Cubs, but the slugger vowed that the shoulder pain won’t keep him off the field for the World Series.

Cespedes left in the middle of the second inning of Wednesday’s 8-3 win over the Cubs. Cespedes left for the clubhouse, where manager Terry Collins said he received a cortisone shot.

Cespedes said he wasn’t sure what tipped off the shoulder soreness but said it started bothering him sometime after his first at-bat in the first inning, a frame in which the Mets jumped out to a 4-0 lead. Cespedes had another plate appearance in the second inning.

The Mets are still waiting to see who they will face in the World Series, but Yoenis Cespedes said there is no uncertainty over the injury.

“I’ll be ready by Sunday,” Cespedes said through an interpreter (via ESPN). “If not, I’ll chop it off and put a new one on.”

There was some concern that Cespedes may have hurt his shoulder while playing a round of golf at the Medinah Country Club, but Cespedes thinks otherwise.

“It didn’t affect me at all,” Cespedes said. “It’s been part of my routine. I’ve played all year long, and I played all last year. It actually helps me with my swing.”

Yoenis Cespedes has been a key part of the New York Mets torrid run to the World Series. He came from the Detroit Tigers at the trade deadline this year, injecting an offensive spark that helped turn the Mets from one of the league’s worst hitting teams to by far its best in the second half of the season.

Cespedes has helped his teammates immensely. Before his arrival, the Mets were winning thanks to one of the best starting rotations in baseball but were fielding a lineup of light-hitting players, many of whom would return to the minors later in the year. Cespedes helped take some pressure of hitters like Curtis Granderson and David Wright. The team now gets hitting throughout the lineup, including the emergence of Daniel Murphy as a deep-ball threat, with home runs in five consecutive games.

For New York Mets fans, seeing Cespedes taken off the field was a frightening reminder of another injury. As the season neared its conclusion, Cespedes was hit by a pitch against the Miami Marlins, going down to the ground in pain.

It looked as if Cespedes may have broken his hand on the play, but X-rays came back negative.

Though his form has fallen off a bit in the playoffs, Yoenis Cespedes was still an important part of the team making its first World Series since 2000. In Game 3 against the Cubs, he hit an RBI double to center field in the first inning, setting the tone for the game.

He stole third base in the sixth inning, which put him in a position to come home on a wild pitch with Michael Conforto at the plate.

Cespedes said his patience is paying off.

“I think overall the team is doing really well,” Cespedes said through a translator (via the New York Post). “I think every player goes through some rough patches and obviously I’ve had some rough patches in the previous games, but I’m trying to make up for that now.”

Yoenis Cespedes will now have plenty of time to nurse his shoulder injury. The New York Mets are awaiting the winner of the Kansas City Royals and Toronto Blue Jays series, with the start of the World Series still several days away.

[Picture by Kevin E. Cox /Getty Images]

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