Four days after re-injuring his left quadriceps, Robinson Cano is back on the injured list.
The Mets made that decision and transaction Sunday morning when Cano was unable to play in the series finale against the Rockies. Right-hander Tim Peterson was called up from Triple-A Syracuse to take Cano's roster spot.
"It just got to a point where we felt like this was the best thing for Robbie," manager Mickey Callaway said. "We need Robbie to be back and play at 100% and be the player he needs to be. We felt this route was going to give us the best chance to accomplish that."
This is the latest chapter in the strange saga of Cano's hurt leg. He initially strained his left quad on May 22 when running out a groundball. He returned Wednesday for four innings and two at-bats, but limped to first base on another grounder. That put Cano and Mets in wait-and-see mode, with daily pregame workouts and evaluations to see if he could play that night, which for three days in a row resulted in the same answer: Cano couldn't go.
On Sunday, the Mets decided to stop playing short-handed.
In Cano's absence, Jeff McNeil stands to fill in most days at second base, which opens up left field for the hot-hitting Dominic Smith (or J.D. Davis against left-handed starters).
Cano, 36, has struggled in his first season with the Mets after joining the team with Edwin Diaz in a trade with the Mariners, general manager Brodie Van Wagenen's marquee offseason move. Cano is hitting .238 with a .284 OBP and .366 slugging percentage, plus three homers and 14 RBIs.
