Right fielder Jay Bruce is not in tonight’s lineup after suffering a strained right calf on Wednesday night. Batting cleanup for the Mets tonight is James Loney who is batting .143 (6-42) with no extra-base hits and two RBI in his last 12 games.
Terry Collins said Bruce should be available to pinch hit tonight and will likely return to the lineup tomorrow.
Original Report – Aug 24
After legging out a leadoff double in the top of the second inning against the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday night, right fielder Jay Bruce was removed from the game with a cramp in his right calf.
Bruce was assisted off the field by trainer Ray Ramirez and was replaced with pinch runner Alejandro De Aza.
Terry Collins said Bruce’s calf “knotted up” when he was jogging out to right field in the first inning. The leg tightened after his double and Collins said it looked a little swollen when he got back in the dugout.
Bruce is hoping he could play in the rubber game against the Cardinals on Thursday night, but said he won’t know for sure until how it feels tomorrow.
“In San Francisco I fouled a ball off my shin, which I’ve done too many times in my career,” Bruce said. “I think it has to do with the way the swelling is dispersing through my muscle. I’m shooting for returning tomorrow.”
“We’ve been taking care of it in the training room. I was running out to the outfield in the first inning and I it kind of grabbed on me and got tight. I figured it would go away and told them I wanted to take the at-bat and see if it loosened up at all. It really didn’t…. I don’t consider it serious at all. I just didn’t want it to get serious, and try to head it off before it got too bad.”
