New York Mets slugger Yoenis Céspedes was not with the team for Sunday’s game at Atlanta and the club said it hadn’t been able to locate him.
“As of game time, Yoenis Céspedes has not reported to the ballpark today. He did not reach out to management with any explanation for his absence,” general manager Brodie Van Wagenen said in a statement.
“Our attempts to contact him have been unsuccessful,” he said.
Céspedes went 0 for 4 during a 7-1 loss Saturday night. He is 5 for 31 (.161) with 15 strikeouts this season.
A key member of the Mets team that reached the World Series in 2015 despite finishing with the fifth-best record in the National League, the 34-year-old Céspedes returned to the lineup this season for the first time since 20 July 2018. He missed most of the past two years with a series of leg problems, getting surgery on both heels and then a broken ankle after a tumble at his Florida ranch in a supposed run-in with a wild boar.
Céspedes has been the Mets’ designated hitter this season, taking advantage of a new rule this year that allows DHs in the National League.
Because he didn’t begin the season on the injured list with a foot injury, Céspedes’ salary rose from $2,222,222 prorated ($6m before the schedule was shortened) to $4,074,074 ($11m before the change).
A two-time All-Star, the 34-year-old won a Gold Glove in 2015 and a Silver Slugger the following year.
Céspedes has played only 127 games since signing his nine-figure deal and only 46 since the end of the 2017 season.
The Mets went 86-76 last season, finishing third in the NL East.