DENVER — Eric Young Jr. was scheduled to make his first start of the series but was scratched from the lineup after suffering a freak injury in the indoor batting cage.
Lucas Duda was hitting during a soft-toss drill and lined a ball off the protective screen that ricocheted and struck Young below the right eye. A CT scan on his right cheekbone was negative, and Young was listed day-to-day.
Young said he passed a concussion test. He had slight swelling under his right eye. Manager Terry Collins said he was going to play Young, but he said he was dizzy upon returning to Coors Field.
“Anybody that gets hit with a baseball in the head is going to experience some discomfort,” Young said after the Mets beat the Rockies 5-1. “X-Rays and CT scan came back good. Fortunately, it’s just a little headache right now.”
Asked whether he thought he would be able to play Monday at Miami, Young said, “I don’t know what my symptoms will be tomorrow. As of right now, I’m good to go. If need be, they probably could have gotten me in the game later today.”
Young has lost his starting job in left field with the return of Juan Lagares, who came off the disabled list Thursday when the four-game series with the Rockies started.
Lagares plays center field, and Chris Young, who had been playing center, has moved back to left field.