Yoenis Cespedes went missing in action this afternoon, sparking a brief panic and outpouring of concern for the Mets slugger’s safety — but now, it appears he chose to opt out of the season without first letting team management know.
Cespedes failed to report for a game against the Braves in Atlanta, and initially “did not reach out to management with any explanation for his absence,” according to a statement from the club.
The Mets soon clarified that they had “no reason to believe” the two-time All-Star was in danger, though his whereabouts remained unknown.
As it turns out, the mercurial powerhouse had elected to become baseball’s latest high-profile player to sit out the season amid coronavirus fears.
The team earlier today announced it had acquired outfielder Billy Hamilton from the Giants in exchange for pitcher Jordan Humphreys. It is unclear whether the transaction was related to Cespedes’ absence.