Cespedes has left Team Cuba in the World Baseball Classic for personal reasons, the Associated Press reports.
The former MLB slugger did not play in the last two games of the first round of the tournament, and went hitless in the two games he did play in. The 37-year-old could rejoin the team for the quarterfinal in Miami, but few specifics have been released as to why he's left the club or when he'll rejoin.
Cespedes intends to play in 2021 and plans to hold a showcase for major-league clubs in Florida on March 2, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.
The 35-year-old outfielder plans to resume his career after previously opting out of the 2020 season last August following eight games with the Mets. Though he was at full health for the start of the past season, Cespedes missed extensive time due to injuries over the preceding three years, appearing in a combined 127 games between 2017 and 2019. At this stage in his career, Cespedes is probably best suited for a part-time role at designated hitter with an American League club.
The Mets placed Cespedes on the restricted list Sunday after he informed the team he was opting out of the 2020 season.
The transaction opened up spots on the Mets' 30-man active roster, 40-man roster and 60-man roster pool. Before opting out, Cespedes appeared in eight games for the Mets and went 5-for-31 with two home runs and four RBI.
General manager Brodie Van Wagenen announced Sunday that Cespedes is opting out of the 2020 season for concerns related to COVID-19, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.
The 34-year-old never showed up to the ballpark for Sunday's game in Atlanta, and he apparently didn't inform the Mets that he was planning to opt out until the game was already underway, according to Tim Healey of Newsday. Cespedes is set to finish the season having appeared in eight games and going 5-for-31 with two home runs and four RBI. The veteran slugger is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2020 season. Dominic Smith seems the likely candidate to take over as the Mets' primary designated hitter.
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Mets' Yoenis Cespedes: Not at ballpark Sunday
Rotowire
Cespedes didn't report to the ballpark for Sunday's game against the Braves and the team has been unable to contact him, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.
Cespedes was absent from Sunday's lineup for what appeared to be a standard day of rest, but there's apparently much more to the situation. The Mets have indicated he's safe but haven't provided specifics on the circumstances surrounding his absence, per Anthony DiComo of MLB.com.
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Mets' Yoenis Cespedes: Mets unsure of whereabouts
Rotowire
Cespedes didn't report to the ballpark for Sunday's game against the Braves and the team has been unable to contact him, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.
Cespedes was absent from Sunday's lineup for what appeared to be a standard day of rest, but there's apparently much more to the situation. Hopefully the 34-year-old is physically and mentally okay, and more information should be available as the situation continues to unfold.
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Mets' Yoenis Cespedes: Day off Sunday
Rotowire
Cespedes is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Braves, Deesha Thosar of the New York Daily News reports.
The veteran slugger is 1-for-12 with five strikeouts over the past three games and will receive a day to reset Sunday. Cespedes has a .622 OPS with two home runs and 15 strikeouts in 34 plate appearances this season.
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Mets' Yoenis Cespedes: Mashes second homer
Rotowire
Cespedes went 2-for-5 with a solo home run in Wednesday's loss to the Red Sox.
He socked his second homer of the year off Matt Barnes in the eighth inning but missed a chance to play hero in the ninth, striking out with the bases loaded in a one-run game. Cespedes is flashing his power but otherwise looks very rusty at the plate, slashing .211/.286/.526 through five games with a 1:10 BB:K.
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