After slamming into the outfield wall Thursday, the Mets announced that an MRI revealed a complete tear of the big toe plantar plate, which is a thick supporting ligament of the toe.
Surgery has been scheduled for next week and he has been placed on the 10-day disabled list. The Mets say he will likely miss the remainder of the season.
Lagares, 29, had been a hitting machine this season before his injury, hitting .339/.375/.390 with a double and a triple. He had also started to steal more bases with three steals in 30 games.
This is a huge blow to the Mets who don’t have much outfield depth. Yoenis Cespedes, Michael Conforto, and Brandon Nimmo are the only good defensive outfielders they have left, as Jay Bruce has not been good at all so far this season (-1 DRS, -10.0 UZR/150).
Phillip Evans is probably the fourth outfielder right now, but don’t be surprised to see Wilmer Flores or Jose Reyes out there this season. The Mets have no outfielders on the 40-man roster outside of Cespedes, Bruce, Nimmo, Cespedes and Lagares.
Matt den Dekker, hitting .286/.326/.508 in Triple-A, is likely the best short-term option the Mets have for outfield depth. He would need to be added to the 40-man roster. Ty Kelly, hitting .269/.351/.493 in Triple-A, is another non-40 option that has experience in the outfield.
Lagares was owed $6 million this season, but now most of that will be covered by insurance. One of the best defensive center fielders in baseball is owed $9 million in 2019 and has a club option worth $9.5 million for 2020 with a $500,000 buyout.
