CHICAGO — New York Mets center fielder Yoenis Cespedes left Game 4 of the National League Championship Series against the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday due to left shoulder soreness.
Cespedes came out in the bottom of the second inning, replaced by Juan Lagares. New York already led 6-0 at the time and was looking to close out a series sweep.
If the Mets advance to the World Series, Cespedes will have some time to recover. The Fall Classic will begin Tuesday at the home of the American League champion, either the Kansas City Royals or the Toronto Blue Jays.
Cespedes, who went 0-for-1 with a walk and a run Wednesday, is hitting .286 with no homers and three RBIs in the NLCS. In nine postseason games overall, he is batting .265 (9-for-34) with two homers and seven RBIs.
A midseason acquisition by New York from the Detroit Tigers, Cespedes went on a power tear after joining the Mets. He hit .287 with a .337 on-base percentage, a .604 slugging percentage, 17 homers and 44 RBIs in 57 regular-season games for his new team.