NEW YORK _ Yoenis Cespedes' season, which never really began, is officially over after surgery on his right ankle Thursday.
Already out since last summer after undergoing surgery on both heels, Cespedes suffered a "violent fall" at his ranch in Florida on Saturday, general manager Brodie Van Wagenen announced on Monday. That resulted in multiple ankle fractures, further damage to feet that have caused him issues for years.
The Mets have declined to say from where Cespedes fell, though Van Wagenen said Cespedes did not fall from a horse.
The Mets previously had expected Cespedes to return sometime during the second half after he had surgery on his heels. On Friday, a day before the fall, Cespedes was with the Mets in Miami _ a two-plus hour drive from Cespedes' home _ as he took batting practice and did some light agility/running drills at Marlins Park. One night later, Cespedes called Van Wagenen, his former agent, to tell him about his new injury.
Cespedes' surgery Thursday was delayed until swelling subsided.
Cespedes is the Mets' highest-paid player this year, making $29 million. The Mets recoup a significant portion of that money through an insurance settlement, and given the nature of his latest injury _ Van Wagenen noted that it was not baseball-related _ the Mets could seek to turn his guaranteed money into non-guaranteed money.
In 2020, the final season of his four-year deal, Cespedes is scheduled to make $29.5 million.
