Mets: Jay Bruce out until at least Tuesday with sore heel

The Mets will be short another outfielder on Saturday as Jay Bruce deals with some discomfort in his heel.

According to Matt Ehalt of NorthJersey.com, Bruce has been dealing with plantar fasciitis, so the Mets prefer to be cautious with him early on in the spring. The 30-year-old Bruce hasn’t ever been an injury concern for the Mets, so hopefully this is just a minor thing. He’s played at least 137 games every year since being a regular minor leaguer.

Of course, we would prefer it if everyone was 100 percent healthy every single day of the year (including in camp), but realistically, that’s just not going to happen. I personally prefer the Mets be overly cautious with their players in the spring than try to risk playing in meaningless games.

For hitters, Spring Training is a little less important than it is for pitchers. Hitters can get their time right and work on whatever is needed more quickly than their mound counterparts. So there shouldn’t be any worry about Bruce and his hitting ability if he misses a few days or if it’s even a week.

Bruce re-joined the Mets this offseason after being traded to Cleveland last year at the deadline. The veteran outfielder signed a three-year, $39 million deal, and is part of a big, powerful outfield that the Mets hope to field sometime around May.

Next: Lagares out of lineup with tight left leg

After struggling early on after joining the Mets in 2016, Bruce really showed his abilities in 2017. He was easily one of the best hitters in the entire lineup for the time that he was in Queens. Fans around the country really embraced him and changed their opinions on him, and when it was announced that he was returning to the Mets, most of us were actually really excited. The hope is that that same momentum keeps going in 2018.