PHOENIX — Outfielder Chris Young is expected to return from the disabled list Friday, but that might not be soon enough to help a suddenly hobbled New York Mets outfield.
Right fielder Curtis Granderson and center fielder Juan Lagares were removed from the game a half-inning apart in the latter stages of the Mets’ 7-3 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday at Chase Field, and manager Terry Collins did not hold out much hope that either would be able to play Tuesday.
Granderson collided with the right field fence as he chased Arizona catcher Miguel Montero’s RBI double in the first inning. He left for a defensive replacement in the sixth inning and was given X-rays on his left rib cage, forearm and knee. They came back negative.
Lagares left after feeling a tweak in his right hamstring after reaching first on a force play in the seventh.
“Curtis’s entire left side is pretty sore,” Collins said. “We are going to wait until the morning on Lagares. We don’t know how bad a strain it is in the hamstring. Maybe a day or so and Grandy will be OK, but somebody else has to step up. (Lagares) has never had one before. Ray (Ramirez, the trainer) has done the testing. It’s probably something that’s not going to be that better tomorrow. If we think Juan is going to be a week, it’s going to be two. That’s the way those things are.”
The Metes finished the Monday game with first baseman Lucas Duda in left field, left fielder Eric Young Jr. in center and reserve Andrew Brown in right.
“I’m not sure what we are going to do. We could … bring up a regular outfielder,” Collins said without naming names.
Granderson played only 61 games with the New York Yankees last season after he sustained a fractured right forearm in spring training and a broken left hand in May. He said he made sure to take inventory after hitting the fence Monday.
“As soon as I hit and after the play had finished, it was like make sure everything is good to go,” he said. “I didn’t want to have any injury or setback like I had the previous year. I was just hoping it was nothing as serious as that.
“Swinging actually was OK. I went into the cage as soon as it happened. Took some swings. It felt fine. My second at-bat, I took some more swings because things were starting to tighten up and I wanted to make sure everything was good. Throwing didn’t bother it. Swinging didn’t bother it. Jogging on and off the field I felt a little bit. Just sitting still I felt a little bit. Hopefully things don’t tighten up while I sleep tonight.”
Lagares, who has a nine-game hitting streak and is tied for the team lead with seven RBIs, said he felt a tug as he ran to first base.
“That never happened to me before,” Lagares said. “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.”