Mets top Marlins 11-3 with early burst but Cabrera gets hurt
NEW YORK (AP) — Asdrubal Cabrera tried for a diving stop in the shortstop hole, landed on his left thumb and rolled onto his back, grimacing.
Given their crowded disabled list, the New York Mets are bracing for the worst.
“I don’t know how bad it is, but he’s certainly hurting,” manager Terry Collins said after Saturday night’s 11-3 rout of the Miami Marlins. “He was in quite a bit of pain on the field.”
Cabrera, whose RBI double sparked a five-run first inning against fill-in starter Odrisamer Despaigne (0-1), had X-rays, which were negative. He is scheduled for an MRI on Sunday, which could reveal ligament damage.
“That’s so unfortunate. He is one of the main cogs that kind of keeps this thing going,” said Jay Bruce, who drove in three runs with a pair of doubles.
Cabrera landed on his thumb diving for Marcell Ozuna’s third-inning single, just before a 39-minute rain delay.
If Cabrera is sidelined for a long period, New York could bring up 21-year-old shortstop Amed Rosario from Triple-A Las Vegas. Rosario entered Saturday hitting .381 with 15 RBIs and seven stolen bases in 28 games.
“It’s nice to be put in the situation where there’s expectations, so that you don’t get caught up in, ‘Well, it doesn’t matter how I do.’ It does matter how you do. It always will,” Collins said. “You come up here and the intenseness of what we’re going through right now, I think you learn from it. You learn how to focus. You learn how to stay focused.”
Signed by the Mets in 2012, Rosario is ranked as the club’s top prospect and one of the best in baseball.
“I got an opportunity to play with him last year in the minor leagues and this year in spring training. I think the guy — he’s ready,” said Jose Reyes, who moved from third base to shortstop after Cabrera’s injury. “He plays the game so relaxed. We want to see that here. … He’s going to be fine, I think, because he knows what he can do and his talent is going to take over.”
Despite the loss of Yoenis…