Following the Mets’ win over the Yankees in the opening game of the Bronx edition of the Subway Series, Yoenis Cespedes told reporters that the root of all of his health issues over the past couple of years has been calcification in both of his heels. Cespedes added that surgery could be necessary for the problem and would come with an expected 8-to-10 month recovery time. Acquired by the Mets at the trade deadline in 2015, Cespedes has been nothing short of outstanding since joining the team. The biggest issue for him over the last calendar year-plus has been staying on the field and off the disabled list, but in total—coming into the Friday night game—he’s played 307 games for the Mets with a .281/.345/.541 line and a 137 OPS+. In 2016, Cespedes played 132 games as the Mets earned a spot in the National League Wild Card game, but last year, he played in just 81 games. And so far this year, he’s played in 38 games—including the Friday night victory.<doc-sep>The Mets have a small army of doctors, physical therapists and conditioning coaches at their disposal, along with being affiliated with the Hospital for Special Surgery, one of the best orthopedic treatment facilities on the planet. Yet somehow, Yoenis Cespedes still was to able to shock everyone late Friday night by saying that he’s suffering from twin-heel “calcifications,” a condition that he insisted needs surgery to fix and would require eight to 10 months of rehab. After hearing this, and then listening to Mickey Callaway stunningly claim to be unaware of Cespedes’ bombshell the very next morning — at his regularly scheduled, daily media briefing — we don’t know which is worse: The Mets mistakenly operating under the belief that Cespedes could play through his debilitating heel issues, or not knowing the longer-term severity of his medical problem. Either one reflects poorly upon the organization, and the bad optics of the Cespedes situation only got worse Saturday, with the Mets letting Callaway fend for himself at the microphone. Not a great strategy. Callaway has enough on his plate without having to play doctor at his news conferences. But the Mets refused to make any of their three acting GMs available Saturday to address the Cespedes issue, choosing to punt until Sunday afternoon, when John Ricco is expected to provide some answers about the slugger’s prognosis before the Subway Series finale in the Bronx. No wonder this has spiraled into the mess it’s become. A day after returning from the disabled list, and then going back on the bench, Cespedes was unavailable to be used as a pinch hitter Saturday in a situation that was begging for him during a ninth-inning rally in the Mets’ 7-6 loss to the Yankees. Afterward, Callaway said that maybe he could play Sunday (we say no chance) — but wouldn’t see a specialist or get an MRI until early next week. Aside from being totally backward, how could Cespedes be allowed on the field again before getting further medical clearance? And why did he get green-lighted in the first place? “We thought his heels were in a really good spot coming in or wouldn’t have activated him,” Callaway said. “So he was good to go.” Subscribe to Newsday’s sports newsletter Receive stories, photos and videos about your favorite New York teams plus national sports news and events. By clicking Sign up, you agree to our privacy policy. Apparently not. When Callaway stepped to the podium at 10:30 Saturday morning, the first question lobbed at him was predictable: What was his reaction to Cespedes’ surgery-related comments from the previous night? His response was hard to believe. Or not, considering the Mets. “I didn’t get to read any of the stuff he said or hear it, so, you know, I’m not quite exactly sure of what he said,” Callaway said. “I just know that he came in pretty sore today and we’re not going to start him.” It’s not that we always expect Callaway to pick up a newspaper on his own or check out a few web sites before facing a few dozen media members. But there’s no way the Mets could have allowed him to sit in that chair without briefing him first, and playing dumb is never a good look for a manager — even if Callaway was advised to do so. And would it be too outlandish for Callaway to maybe check in with Cespedes to get his side of the story beforehand? This was an epic fail all-around, and not just from a PR standpoint. Nine weeks on the DL, under the scrutiny of all those medical personnel, and Cespedes can just spring that heel disaster on everyone at his locker, seemingly out of the blue? Truth is, the heel condition is hardly a new ailment, despite the Mets describing his injuries as everything from hamstrings to quads to hip flexors. It’s all part of the same kinetic chain, and the lingering heel problem has been in the background throughout. A year ago, Sandy Alderson made the first reference to Cespedes’ sore heels. Earlier this month, on July 6, Ricco said that his chronic issues were heel-related more than anything else. Despite being inserted back into the lineup Friday night at DH, and homering in his second at-bat, Cespedes complained of his heels hurting midway through the 7-5 victory over the Yankees. That frustration is likely why Cespedes lashed out at his locker afterward, complaining of the social-media perception that he wasn’t trying hard enough to come back from the DL. “It’s bad that you’re doing your best and working hard every day and people are saying things that are not correct,” Cespedes said late Friday night through his interpreter. “I am not going to go down and lower my level to their level.” Maybe Cespedes felt pressured to return despite still feeling pain, and one source said Saturday that he’s been dealing with the heel condition for the past year. Cespedes has played in only 46 percent of the Mets’ games since they made him the sport’s highest-paid outfielder with that four-year, $110-million contract, so that’s not ideal for the organization either. The Mets weren’t supposed to be having these embarrassingly high-profile medical episodes anymore. But if dysfunction is a disease, this franchise is a long, long way from finding a cure.<doc-sep>Mike Stobe/Getty Images New York Mets outfielder Yoenis Cespedes said Friday that he is considering offseason surgery to repair calcification in both of his heels, according to SNY's Steve Gelbs. Cespedes added that surgery is the only way to fix his issues, although it will take eight to 10 months to recover. When asked if he can make it through the remainder of the 2018 season, he said he didn't know. On Friday, Cespedes played in his first game since May 13. He went 2-for-4 with a home run in a 7-5 win over the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. The 32-year-old has been limited throughout the 2018 campaign with a hip injury that caused an extended stretch on the disabled list. He also had problems with his quad after a wrist injury slowed him down in spring training. A hamstring injury ended his 2017 season after just 81 games. Considering he missed 30 contests in 2016 as well, this hasn't been a positive trend for a veteran player. His performance has also been up and down in 2018 even when on the field, as he's produced a .262 batting average to go with nine home runs and 29 RBI in 38 games. Video Play Button Videos you might like Of course, the slugger is a game-changing player when he is at his best. He earned MVP votes in each of his first two seasons with the Mets and has two All-Star selections, one Gold Glove and one Silver Slugger award. Although his injury problems have led to more at-bats for younger outfielders such as Michael Conforto and Brandon Nimmo, New York will hope the highest-paid player on the roster can figure out how to stay healthy.<doc-sep>
Rich Schultz/Getty Images New York Mets manager Mickey Callaway said Saturday he feels bad for outfielder Yoenis Cespedes since it's been "extraordinarily tough for him to be on the field" because of lingering injuries. Anthony DiComo of MLB.com passed along comments from the Mets skipper after Cespedes hinted Friday he could need surgery to alleviate long-term heel pain. "That's concerning," Callaway said. "I feel bad for the guy. He has worked so hard. If you see the stuff he has to go through to get back—he worked so hard this winter. We talked about everything that he tried to do to put himself in a good spot to come out and be healthy for the team." Cespedes, who returned Friday from a nine-week stay on the disabled list because of hip and quad issues, said he's not sure he'll be able to finish the season, per DiComo. Heel surgery would lead to a recovery timetable of eight to 10 months. The 32-year-old Cuba native played 159 games split between the Mets and Detroit Tigers in 2015 and appeared in 132 contests during his first full season in New York. He's struggled to stay on the field over the last two years, though. He played 81 games last season and has made just 38 appearances so far in 2018. Video Play Button Videos you might like "I realize what is causing my problems are my heels," Cespedes told reporters through a translator Friday. "When I feel some pain on my heels, I started to modify my walking, my running, even my standing. That's the main cause I am having [of] these problems in my leg." If he's planning to undergo surgery, the Mets would likely be better off if he had the procedure soon. They are already fading from this year's playoff race with a 40-55 record, and the projected timetable could put him on track to potentially return for Opening Day next year. If Cespedes waits until the offseason, he'd likely remain sidelined until at least May and possibly all the way through the 2019 All-Star break before rejoining the lineup.