NEW YORK -- Yoenis Cespedes, who has played in fewer than half of the Mets' games since signing a four-year, $110 million contract after the 2016 season, is about to miss a significant chunk of the future. Cespedes will undergo surgery to repair a chronic heel problem that has plagued him for the past 15 years, the Mets announced on Wednesday.The surgery carries an eight- to 10-month recovery, knocking Cespedes out for the rest of this season and possibly some of 2019.
Cespedes, 32, missed significant chunks of last season due to hamstring and quad strains. He spent the winter working on his flexibility, eschewing heavy weights in favor of yoga. But a hip flexor strain landed him on the disabled list on May 14, and he wound up missing 9 1/2 weeks.Following a lengthy rehab that included at least one setback, Cespedes returned on Friday at Yankee Stadium. He homered and played the entire game as the Mets' designated hitter, but revealed afterward that he was playing through calcification in both heels, which could require surgery.Thus began a spiral of events that continued on Saturday, when manager Mickey Callaway -- who later said he "misspoke" -- said he was unaware of Cespedes' comments about his heels. The following day, assistant general manager John Ricco defended the Mets' treatment of Cespedes, who traveled to Manhattan on Monday for appointments with team physician Dr. David Altchek and a foot specialist.A day later, the Mets placed Cespedes on the disabled list while he waited for an out-of-state doctor who read his X-rays to give him a third opinion.
Anthony DiComo/MLB.com
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