PORT ST. LUCIE — Juan Lagares’ oblique isn’t as bleak a🌱s th🎀e Mets originally feared.
R📖esults of an MRI exam indicated the outfielder has a mild strain on the left side, and manager Terry Collins said Lagares will be evaluated on a daily basis, per൲haps leaving him time to receive a spot on the Opening Day roster.
On Tuesday, Lagares said he is less than full strength, but is encouraged by the way he’s fe💧lt. If Lagares is going to break camp with the club, Collins would like to see him participate in the Mets’ scrimmage against Tripl𓄧e-A Las Vegas on Thursday.
The Mets are prepared to begin the season with Mꦺichael Conforto as the backup center fielder if Lagares needs a stint on the disabled list. But if Lagare♕s begins the season with the club, Conforto likely will be optioned to Las Vegas.
Jeurys Familia returned to camp after meeting with commissioner Rob Manfred in New York a day earlier. The Mets are🎶 waiting for an announcement on a likely suspension for Familia for༒ violating MLB’s domestic violence policy.
Paul Sewald made a strong impresﷺsion on team officials, but fell short in his bid for a bullpen role with the Mets to begin the season — the righty was reassigned to minor league camp. Working against Sewald was the fa💖ct he is not on the 40-man roster.
Collins also cited Sewald’s need to develop an𒁃other pitch to combat lefties. Sewald posted a 2.51 ERA in 11 exhibꩵition games.
Kevin𓆉 Plawecki was also reassigned to minor league camp. Plawecki will begin the season a𝐆s insurance at Triple-A Las Vegas if Travis d’Arnaud or Rene Rivera sustains an injury.
Yoenis Cespedes watched his 8-year-old son, Yoenis Jr., 🔜go 2-for-3 with five RBIs in a baseball game Monday in the West Palm Beach area. The elder Cespedes had requested making the road trip to Jupiter so he could arrive on time for his son’s game.
Cespedes raced to the left-field fence and made a leaping catch to rob Greg Garcia of an extra-base hit in the fifꦓth inning.
Lucas Duda hit his third homer of the spring, a𒉰 three-run blast in the fourth inning against Adam Wainwright, in the Mets’ 3-3 exhibition tie with the Cardinals in Port St. Lucie.
It has been a quiet spring for Jay Bruce, who 🌠went 0-for-3 on Tuesday and is batting .205 in the exh♔ibition season.
Rafael Montero and Sean Gilm🎃artin are among the Mets’ scheduled pitchers for their exhibition game against the Braves in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.