After tearing his left hamstring on August 4 in Pittsburgh, New York Mets second baseman Robinson Cano‘s season was perceived by many to be over. When news broke that the 36-year-old was beginning a rehab assignment with Short-Season Brooklyn last week it was met with justifiable skepticism.
Returning from an injury of that severity in under a month is absolutely wild but, alas, after going 2-for-7 with a double and two RBIs over two games with the Cyclones, the 14-year MLB veteran was activated off the 10-day injured list on Tuesday.
Via Tim Healey of Newsday, Cano wasn’t “surprised” by his prompt return “because I work really hard”. Mets skipper Mickey Callaway simply went with “he heals fast”. Whatever gets you through the night, Mick.
Regardless of how (in the world) Cano made it back to the lineup this quickly, he’s back. And after going 3-for-3 with a walk, two RBIs, and two runs scored in Wednesday afternoon’s 8-4 win over the Nationals, securing a big road series win before heading back to Citi Field for a 10-game, juggernaut-like homestand, things are looking up for (one of) the Mets’ beleaguered offseason acquisitions.
Cano singled off Nats’ right-hander Anibal Sanchez in the first, clubbed a 105.5 MPH exit velocity, 400-foot, two-run homer off Sanchez in the fourth to put the Mets ahead, 3-1, walked in the sixth, and added a base hit off right-hander Wander Suero in the seventh before being double-switched out of the game in the bottom half of the frame.
By any account, that’s a great first day back. Under these circumstances, that’s nearly miraculous. After Wednesday’s win, Cano cheekily told reporters (SNY), “I guess [my swing] is good”, also giving a glimpse into the team’s mindset heading into the home stretch.
“We’re all on the same page — we want to win, we want to make the playoffs. I’m the kind of guy that it’s not over until we’re out, so we got a chance. You just got to keep grinding and go out and keep doing your job.”
With the Mets still within a Stretch Armstrong-sized grasp of a wild-card spot and a daunting schedule immediately ahead of them, a productive Robinson Cano somewhere in the lineup on a regular basis would be a boon for this still-alive ball club.
Before hitting the IL, the Dominican native had just begun to find his swing after an extremely tough start. From Opening Day through the end of June (238 plate appearances), Cano slashed just .238/.286/.368 with four home runs, 17 doubles, and a paltry 74 wRC+.
From July 1 until he went down on August 4, the eight-time All-Star hit .284/.315/.520 with six homers, six doubles, a .334 wOBA, and a more respectable 110 wRC+. Modest progress was being made, for sure.
If Cano can slide back into the lineup and produce similarly to where he was at before his injury, it would certainly add another dynamic to this ever-evolving (and improving) Mets lineup. We shall see.
