Major League Baseball

Cespedes says he thinks he’ll return to Mets this season

Updated Mar. 5, 2020 12:22 a.m. ET

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PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (AP) — Yoenis Cespedes says he thinks he'll be able to play at some point this season.

Recovering from surgery on both heels, the New York Mets slugger told reporters through a translator at spring training Friday he is finally pain-free. He has been working out and plans to begin throwing next week, but there's no timetable for when the 33-year-old left fielder will start running or hitting — and he's not sure when he might return to the lineup.

The team has said Cespedes is expected to be sidelined until at least July. Mets manager Mickey Callaway said this week he hopes Cespedes can contribute "late in the season."

The oft-injured Cespedes, who said he's been frustrated and bored while recovering, has been limited to 119 games since signing a $110 million, four-year contract after the 2016 season.

He had separate operations to remove calcification and bone spurs from both heels, the first last August and the second in late October.

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Major League Baseball

New York Mets

Yoenis Céspedes