Yoenis Cespedes Exits vs. Rockies with Hip Injury Diagnosed as Tightness

New York Mets left fielder Yoenis Cespedes left Sunday's game against the Colorado Rockies with right hip tightness.

Cespedes has been one of the National League's most productive hitters in recent years. He's hitting .246 with seven home runs and 26 runs batted in this season.

He posted a .292/.352/.540 triple-slash line with 17 home runs across just 81 appearances last year. He tallied 31 homers in 132 games during the 2016 campaign, his first full season in New York.

Injuries have become a consistent concern, though. He dealt with hip and quad issues in 2016, and the latter required a stint on the disabled list. He made two DL trips last year with a strained hamstring in each leg. More recently, he missed time in spring training with a wrist injury.

If the latest ailment forces him out of the lineup for a while, Juan Lagares should get a vast majority of the extra starts in the outfield. It could also open up more playing time for Jose Reyes, who's shifted into a utility role for New York.

Cespedes is one of the most crucial pieces to the Mets' success, and his injury problems last year played a key role in the team's disappointing campaign. The organization is hoping to avoid a repeat performance in 2018, and any type of long-term absence would be a major setback.