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Mets outfielder Yoenis Cespedes opts out of season

Date: August 2, 2020

By: Michael Daly

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Ben Solomon/New York Times

New York Mets outfielder Yoenis Cespedes opted out of the 2020 season on Sunday afternoon, according to Mets general manager Brodie Van Wagenen.

The Mets were playing their final game of a road series against the Atlanta Braves and Cespedes did not report to Truist Park for Sunday’s game. The Mets were not aware of Cespedes’ whereabouts in Atlanta.

When the Mets realized Cespedes was not with the team, they sent security to his hotel room only to find an empty room. As reported by ESPN’s Jeff Passan, Cespedes completely cleaned out his hotel room and left the hotel that the Mets were staying in.

New York was notified of Cespedes’ decision to opt-out of the remainder of the season through the outfielder’s agent. Van Wagenen gave a statement to the media on Cespedes’ absence from the team.

“As of game time, Yoenis Cespedes has not reported to the ballpark today. He did not reach out to management with any explanation for his absence. Our attempts to contact him have been unsuccessful.”

During the game, the Mets announced that Cespedes’ safety was not at any risk and they were working to reach out to him. It later turned out that Cespedes opted out because of reasons related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We will support him in that decision. It was surprising, without question,” said Van Wagenen when he announced that Cespedes was opting out of the season.

Cespedes, 34, hit .161 in eight games played in 2020. This was his final season with New York before he was slated to enter free agency in 2021. His last game played for the Mets was on Saturday night when he struck out twice in four at-bats.

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Mike Stobe/ Getty Images

Saturday’s game could be the final time Cespedes will wear a New York Mets uniform if he chooses to leave the team as a free agent in the offseason. In recent years, Cespedes has had difficulties staying healthy for a full season.

In 2019, Cespedes suffered an ankle fracture after an encounter with a wild boar at his Florida ranch. He missed the entire 2019 season. In 2017 and 2018, he played a combined total of 119 games between the two seasons.

As a New York Met, Cespedes is well-known for his heroics in the 2015 playoffs. He was a key part of the Mets reaching the 2015 World Series against the Kansas City Royals. Cespedes was a trade deadline acquisition for the Mets in a deal with the Detroit Tigers in 2015.

Michael Daly is the Station Manager of 89.5 FM WSOU, and can be reached at wsoustationmanager@gmail.com.

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