Cespedes out of lineup, may miss multiple days

12:24 PM ET

NEW YORK — Yoenis Cespedes’ cranky right quadriceps has flared up, prompting manager Terry Collins to hold the slugger out of the Mets’ lineup for Thursday’s series opener against the Colorado Rockies and potentially beyond.

After delivering a go-ahead two-run homer in the seventh inning on Wednesday night in an eventual 5-4 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals, Cespedes complained to Collins about renewed leg soreness.

“Last night he came in when the game was over and said it was starting to bother him pretty bad,” Collins said.

Cespedes originally injured the quadriceps on July 8. He missed more than a week, including skipping the All-Star Game. As a concession to try to keep Cespedes in the lineup upon returning, the Mets abandoned using him in center field, even though that has created complications with how to fill the position.

However, limiting Cespedes to left field — which requires less running than center field — has not sufficiently allowed the leg issue to subside.

The loss of Cespedes, potentially for multiple days, removes the Mets’ most fearsome bat and further depletes the lineup.

Third baseman Jose Reyes is likewise active but unavailable because of a strained intercostal on his left side. Reyes injured the muscle in Game 1 of Tuesday’s doubleheader against the Cardinals. The Mets had hoped Reyes would be capable of returning to the lineup on Friday, but Collins now portrays that target as improbable.

“He was pretty sore last night when he left here,” Collins said …

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