WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Yoenis Cespedes indicated last week he planned to play in an exhibition game Monday, and stuck to that script.
The Mets slugger was 1-for-3 with a single in the Mets’ 2-0 loss to the Astros, his first Grapefruit League action in eight days. Cespedes, who started in left field, had been sidelined with right wrist soreness and received a cortisone shot last week.
“I felt great — it was great to be back on the field in a game,” Cespedes said in a statement through a team public relations official. “I plan on playing [Tuesday].”
Cespedes battled right shoulder discomfort earlier in camp, which he attributed to inactivity in the offseason — he did not begin throwing until he arrived to spring training.
In recent days he had been taking at-bats in minor league games to keep his swing sharp.
Phillip Evans continues to impress team officials with his bat and versatility. Evans reached base four times in a 2-for-2 performance and is batting .300 this spring. The plan now, according to manager Mickey Callaway, is to get Evans behind the plate in the exhibition season. Evans, who has never appeared in a game at catcher, has been working with catching instructor Glenn Sherlock throughout the spring.
“The way he can hit, he has hit good pitching,” Callaway said. “It’s been very impressive.”
Evans, an infielder, has also spent time at the corner outfield positions this spring and played at an acceptable level.
“The first game he ever played out there, he threw out a guy at home plate and he takes good routes to balls,” Callaway said. “He has done a great job of … getting balls in and keeping guys off second.”
Juan Lagares went 0-for-4 and saw his Grapefruit League average dip to .175 as he works with a retooled swing designed to improve his launch angle. Mets brass is considering Lagares as the primary center fielder until Michael Conforto returns from rehabbing his left shoulder — officially that timetable is May 1 — but may have squandered his opportunity. Brandon Nimmo is having a superior camp and could open the season in center.
“At some point [Lagares] is going to have to make sure he goes out there and competes,” Callaway said. “I am not sure when that time is, it’s probably fast approaching. Sooner or later you have to go out there and not worry about what you have been working on and just put good swings on the baseball. Those are hard decisions to weigh for us.”
Jerry Blevins, AJ Ramos, Anthony Swarzak and Jeurys Familia combined for three innings of scoreless relief in the Mets’ 2-0 exhibition loss to the Astros in West Palm Beach, Fla.
Adrian Gonzalez has won the first-base job by default, but his 0-for-4 performance with two strikeouts dropped his Grapefruit League batting average to .182.
Kevin Plawecki, who is competing for primary catching duties, picked off Jacob Meyers at first base. He also threw out Tony Kemp attempting to steal third.
Matt Harvey is scheduled to face the Cardinals in Jupiter, Fla., at 1:05 p.m. Tuesday.