Juan Lagares will play for the 51s tonight after getting his first rehab with St. Lucie yesterday.
After going 1-for-4 yesterday in his first rehab start with High-A St. Lucie, Mets outfielder Juan Lagares will continue his rehab tonight with the Triple-A Las Vegas 51s. Lagares pulled his right hamstring in a win against the Diamondbacks on April 14 and is eligible to return from the disabled list on Wednesday, though the Mets have not announced a specific return date. He started in center field and led off for St. Lucie last night but was removed from the game after seven innings.
Before the injury, Lagares had arguably been the Mets' best player, posting a slash line of .314/.345/.471 and playing the spectacular brand of center field defense that we've come to expect from the 25-year-old. With Chris Young healthy and back in the outfield rotation, it remains unclear exactly how Lagares will be used upon his return. None of the Mets' outfielders have been particularly impressive since the loss of Lagares, so it seems he should be the everyday center fielder for the Amazins. Perhaps the return of the young outfielder can provide the offensive spark that the team so desperately needs.