Concerns about the quick dissemination of the COVID-19, or coronavirus disease, have caused Major League Baseball and dozens of other professional circuits and leagues to stop their operations for the time being. The virus has killed thousands of people since its appearance in December 2019, and even athletes have been infected. Even the New York Mets had a recent scare when Donovan Mitchell, the NBA star, tested positive because his father works for the team. Mitchell sr. tested negative, thankfully.
MLB had to start regular-season games in late March, but that won’t be the case anymore. The league announced last week that it would push back regular-season games two weeks “at least,” and that timetable is looking awfully insufficient right now.
However, for MLB players, including a couple of New York Mets’ members, the extra time will likely mean that they can start playing as soon as the games count, and not after as it was deemed likely a few days ago.
Two Mets’ outfielders will likely be ready from the go
Given that the most likely scenario is that Major League Games won’t be played before June, one Mets’ player that will almost surely be ready from the go is outfielder Michael Conforto.
On March 11, the Mets announced that Conforto’s oblique injury was a Grade 1 strain, which is a mild one. Even still, he wasn’t going to be ready for the first game of the season had the previously stated date been kept.
Conforto can comfortably be ready to play meaningful games in mid-to-late April, so it’s safe to say he will be ready when the contests start counting.
A more complex case is that of Yoenis Cespedes. He was running out of time to make the opening day roster when the coronavirus outbreak halted things. However, if the season starts in May or June, that gives him a few extra weeks to clear the remaining hurdles in his heel and ankle surgeries recovery.