New York Mets: With Yoenis Cespedes, offseason never a boar

New York Mets fans have found out how Yoenis Cespedes broke his last summer. Like a tale from a science fiction novel, the source of his injury isn’t boar-ing.

New York Mets outfielder Yoenis Cespedes, when healthy, is a game-changer. There’s no denying it. With Babe Ruthian-like power and a Roberto Clemente-esque cannon of an arm in the outfield, Cespedes is the biggest star at CitiField. Unfortunately, it’s been nearly two seasons since Amazin fans have been able to see his abilities on full display.

While the 34-year-old outfielder was recovering from double heel spur surgery, he fractured his right ankle, with a big mystery surrounding how the injury occurred. New York Mets GM Brodie Van Wagenen (Cespedes’ former agent with CAA Sports) had to fill in the team’s gaps without the star.

With the Cuban slugger inching towards a return, the New York Post uncovered how Cespedes fractured his right angle. He stepped in a hole at his St. Lucie, Florida ranch to avoid a wild boar.

"But one boar was removed from a trap — perhaps by Cespedes — and either charged toward Cespedes or startled him, causing Cespedes to step into a hole. Cespedes suffered the fractured ankle at a time when he was recovering from surgery to both heels that already was jeopardizing his playing status in 2019."

This seems like something right out of a George R.R. Martin (documented Mets fan) “Game of Thrones” book. Cespedes could have been killed by the wild boar just like King Robert Baratheon.

He really is lucky the ankle was the only thing he injured. We know Cespedes is on the mend since Newsday Mets beat writer Tim Healey stumbled across a video of “Yo” mashing the ball in batting practice off Endy Chavez.

Normally this is the kind of headline that would come out midseason for the Mets to derail their season if it hadn’t been done so already by poor play or lack of roster talent. But the Amazins are in a different place.

The New York Mets missed a National League Wild Card slot by three games in 2019. In 2020 they are poised to contend with a dominant rotation and a young positional core that includes NL Rookie of the Year Pete Alonso. Cespedes will be a welcomed addition.

Over 308 games in a Mets uniform, No. 52 sports a .282/.346/.890 slash line with 74 homers and 201 RBIs to go along with an All-Star selection and a Silver Slugger award. I’m already salivating over back-to-back moonshots by “Yo” and “Polar Bear Pete.”

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