The New York Mets today announced that outfielder Yoenis Cespedes will undergo surgery to remove bone calcifications in both his right and left heels later this week. The surgery will be performed by Dr. Robert Anderson in Green Bay, WI. Céspedes is currently on the 10-Day Disabled List.
The outfielder will first undergo one of them and partially recover and then receive the second one at that point.
In terms of recovery time, Cespedes will miss a minimum of eight-to-ten months and possibly miss more time, but definitely will not return sooner as Dicomo points out.
A few days ago, John Ricco made surgery sound like a drastic measure, but after getting the opinions of doctors after having played only one game back from the DL, the team has proceeded in this direction.
Cespedes said the following through his interpreter about how upset he is by this result.
“Nobody would like to have surgery at any time. But I try to do my best to stay on the field and play a lot. We had exhausted all the conservative treatment options. I was not able to be on the field and play the way I used to.”
It is unclear how much time, if at all, the 32-year old will miss next season. 2019 will mark the third year of a four-year, $110 million contract he signed back in December of 2016.
Ricco did confirm to the media that the team has an insurance policy on Cespedes’ deal, but when asked about whether or not they would reinvest it in the team, he responded saying they have not revised their budget plan yet.
“This is something Yoenis has dealt with for a number of years and it was a matter of managing the pain with anti-inflammatories and preventative treatment. It has now progressed to the point that he felt he could not manage the pain despite all the measures taken to help him prepare to play.
“Yoenis did everything in his power to be on the field as he wants to play and be out there with his team. The health of Yoenis and his return to the field is our primary objective.”
