The loss of Juan Lagares will be a blow to the Mets on offense and defense. (Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports)
The New York Mets put center fielder Juan Lagares on the 15-day disabled list with a pulled right hamstring suffered Monday night during a 7-3 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks.
To take Lagares’ place on the roster, the Mets recalled outfielder Kirk Nieuwenhuis from Triple-A Las Vegas.
Lagares was hustling down the first-base line trying to avoid a double play when the injury occurred. He left the game in the seventh inning after feeling a tweak in his right hamstring on the force play.
Lagares, who has a nine-game hitting streak and is tied for the team lead with seven RBIs while batting a team-leading .314, said he felt a tug as he ran to first base.
“That never happened to me before,” Lagares said Monday after the game. “I felt like I pulled it a little, and I want to make sure. I’ll see how it feels tomorrow. I didn’t want it to get worse.”
Lagares had filled in admirably for regular outfielder Chris Young, who suffered a strained quadriceps at the start of the season. Young is eligible to return from the disabled list on Friday.
Mets right fielder Curtis Granderson did not start Tuesday’s game after a collision with the outfield wall on Monday night left him with a sore left forearm and ribs.
Nieuwenhuis was batting .310 with two homers and eight RBIs in 10 games this season in Triple-A.
