10:41pm: Cano will be on the shelf “until at least mid-August,” DiComo tweets.
6:15pm: The Mets have placed second baseman Robinson Cano on the 10-day injured list due to a Grade 2 left adductor strain and selected the contract of Billy Hamilton, who’ll be on the bench for tonight’s game (Twitter links via Anthony DiComo of MLB.com). DiComo adds that Jeff McNeil (intercostal strain) and Amed Rosario (quad tightness) are both day-to-day.
There’s no telling just how long Cano will be sidelined at this point, but any type of Grade 2 strain (as opposed to a more mild Grade 1 strain) is cause for concern regarding an extended absence. His injury is particularly unfortunate for the Mets given that the 37-year-old had gotten out to a blistering start. In his first 39 plate appearances, Cano was hitting at a torrid .412/.462/.559 clip with a homer and two doubles. While it’s inevitable that he’d have cooled off to some extent, Cano also ranked among the game’s best in terms of hard-hit rate and average exit velocity, and his swinging-strike rate was among the lowest in MLB.
Despite the addition of the designated hitter in the National League, Cano has been the team’s primary second baseman. Yoenis Cespedes had been serving as the regular designated hitter, but he opted out of the remainder of the season over the weekend. With Cano, Jed Lowrie and Jeff McNeil all on the injured list, regular second-base duties for the Mets seem likeliest to fall to top prospect Andres Gimenez and veteran Brian Dozier, who inked a minor league deal late in Summer Camp and was selected to the Mets’ roster last week. Dozier is batting sixth in tonight’s lineup against lefty Patrick Corbin, but the makings of a natural platoon with the left-handed-hitting Gimenez are present. Of course, that’s contingent on Rosario returning to the lineup; Gimenez and Dozier could each draw regular starts as double play partners while Rosario is out.
As for Hamilton, he was acquired over the weekend in a trade that sent recently outrighted reliever Jordan Humphreys to the Giants. He’ll jump right onto the Mets’ big league roster and provide some speed and elite glovework off the bench. Brandon Nimmo is still lined up for everyday work in center, and he’ll be flanked by J.D. Davis and Michael Conforto to begin most games. Hamilton’s role is perhaps the same role the Mets envisioned for offseason acquisition Jake Marisnick, but he’s currently on the injured list with a hamstring strain.
Shocker, Cano is injured.
He gets his money. Where’s the motivation to play? The number of so called “injuries” is alarming
3B coach should be fired for hurting cano
That was a horrible send on his part, anyone with half a brain knew Cano was a dead duck with those legs.
Start by firing GM
Cano had a nice hot streak going for him
At this rate, the winner of the NLE will be the team that can still field a viable core until the end. I know this injury isn’t THAT bad, but with all the Covid losses, including opt outs, little injuries like this add up in a short season.
So does this mean the Nationals are the favorite now? They’re getting Soto back though I don’t know how ready he is.
The Nats are the favorites. Why? Look at that rotation and who the Braves and Mets lost due to
Injuries.
I still have the Braves winning it. Also don’t sleep on Marlins. No jokes.
I agree on the Marlins but the Braves’ pitching is mediocre. If they win another division, it’s another first round exit in the playoffs.
Maybe, but I still think they win the division.
Think it’s time for Cano to call it a career, wouldn’t you say? Why try and hang on and end it this way when you have been such a success? Sad when players can’t just say “uncle”.
How about for $25 mill a year for I think 2 more years.
3 more years at $24 per after this season.
Also can’t tell if 78 is being sarcastic, or just doesn’t follow baseball. He’s not washed up. Terrible trade, but he’s not an oxygen thief.
Yea, he was actually turning it on before he got hurt. He’s not a 320 hitter anymore, but it’s also not time for him to retire. It looks like he just needed some time to reconfigure his workout program after getting busted for PEDs.
Actually I watch baseball a ton and know enough about the game. You never heard me say he was “washed up” I was actually talking about being hurt alot. I wouldn’t want to walk away from that contract either but the endless amount of time he has to be rehabbing and rehabbing at his age has to get old quick. I’m his age and I know my body wouldn’t wanna go through that grind the amount of times he’s had to. People were critical of Andrew Luck when he called it a career so early but I respect that kind of tough decision.
Mets to recall Wilmer Flores from San Francisco.
Thank you Cano for rejecting the offer of 8 years and 200 Million from the Yankees.
They just announced Wilmer is back thank God for Walter Lockett and cash.
I read “out until mid-August” and my brain thinks he’s going to be out for 4 months because it thinks since we’re only 10 games into the season, it must only be mid-April. Hard to grok that mid-August is only 10 days away.
Cano had .3 bWAR in 2019. Hamilton had .4 b WAR in 2019.
I would have guessed that this move was a downgrade, but maybe not.