Mets need to shut Yoenis Cespedes down for the season

It’s time the New York Mets sit Yoenis Cespedes for the rest of 2018. They cannot risk further injury to the big guy.

Well, isn’t this just classic New York Mets news. Yoenis Cespedes, the highest paid player on the Mets roster is activated off of the 10-Day Disabled List ahead of the Subway Series against arch-rivals the New York Yankees.

Cespedes proceeds to go 2-for-4 in that game, including two runs and a home run off the foul pole in left field. On that particular swing, Cespedes seemed to think he popped out, tossing his bat and shaking his head in disgust, presumably thinking he missed his pitch to launch out of the lattice lined ballpark.

Cespedes looked good, like his former self, swinging a hot bat and looking for mistakes to capitalize on. The biggest mistake he might have found was coming back from the DL.

After the game, SNY’s Steve Gelbs reported that the cause of Cespedes’ medical issues was calcification in both heels. There is a surgical option available to remedy the issue, but recovery time is an estimated 8-10 months.

Cespedes is weighing his options, and of course, he wants to play. However, the responsible thing is for the Mets to shut him down for the season, making this the second season in a row that Cespedes will play in less than half of the regular season. Money well spent.

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This is in no way a condemnation of Yo’s work ethic, something he complained about seeing a lot of criticism for.

That’s not the case here at all.

If you need a reminder of what La Potencia goes through to get ready for the season, you can find that here, but this is about the man’s longevity. Would you rather have a struggling, less than 100% Cespedes playing during a lost cause of a season, or would you rather have him fresh and ready to go for a full one in 2019?

If the answer is struggling, then you’ve missed the boat. Cespedes has been playing hurt and damaged since the end of the 2016 season.

Since the 2016 Wildcard Game, Yo hasn’t even played in 120 games due to injury. Why would you keep playing him if that’s the case?

The fact of the matter is that Cespedes has an option to correct this issue and not miss any playing time in a season that could hold weight, rather than the current season that is becoming more and more like a run out the clock situation.

Knowing that they’re too far behind to make a run, the Mets should do what is in the best interest for their future; keeping Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard. Equally as important, is shutting down Cespedes.

Next: 20 biggest disappointments of the 2018 Mets season

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They cannot afford to waste yet another season with their biggest bat on the shelf.