New York Mets manager Mickey Callaway said Saturday he was unaware of comments made the previous night by injury-plagued slugger Yoenis Cespedes, who revealed that he may need surgery on both heels that would sideline him for eight to 10 months.
Cespedes was not in the lineup in the Mets' 7-6 loss to the New York Yankees on Saturday afternoon, one day after he returned from an extended stay on the disabled list. The Mets rallied with three runs in the ninth inning, and had the bases loaded with no outs, but Cespedes was not called on to pinch hit.
Callaway said after the game that Cespedes was not available off the bench. He will see a foot specialist and undergo an MRI this coming week, according to the manager.
Cespedes' health was a topic before the game, as well.
Asked about the outfielder's comments from Friday night, Callaway responded that he was "not quite exactly sure what he said." The Mets' first-year manager deferred questions about possible surgery to the team's medical personnel.
"I think that it's something that is probably a good question for the doctors as far as if he needs surgery or not," Callaway said. "We are aware of his heel issues and that they get painful, especially when he has long periods of time that he hasn't done much. And then he starts coming back, his heels get pretty sore. He's been battling that for 15 years."
The Mets had planned to use Cespedes as a designated hitter for the first two games of their weekend series against the Yankees before a possible return to the outfield Sunday.
But Callaway told reporters Saturday that Cespedes "came in pretty sore today," adding that it was "concerning."
Cespedes homered and singled Friday in his first game since May 13, helping the Mets post a 7-5 victory over the Yankees. After the game, he revealed that he has calcification in both heels and is considering whether to have surgery in the offseason.
"The cause of my problems are my heels, because when I feel some pain on my heels, I started to modify my walking, my running or even my standing," he said through an interpreter.
Cespedes, who is hitting .262 with nine homers and 29 RBIs in 38 games, said he is uncertain whether he can finish out the season.
"I've been playing like this for the last 15 years, but as time goes by, it's getting worse and worse," he said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.