Robinson Canó hustles, immediately injures quad
Maybe there’s a reason Robinson Canó doesn’t go all out on routine ground balls. In a twist that’s so Metsian it hurts, Canó was removed from Wednesday’s game after injuring his quad while running out a ground ball.
Canó’s hustle — or lack thereof — has become quite the hot topic in recent days. Canó drew the ire of many Friday after failing to run full speed on a double-play ball. The 36-year-old Canó later said he believed there were two outs.
Two days later, something similar happened. Canó failed to run out a ball he believed was foul. The ball rolled fair near home plate, and the Miami Marlins were able to pull off a double play.
During Wednesday’s game, Canó hit a routine grounder to Washington Nationals shortstop Trea Turner in the third inning. Canó was thrown out, but seemed to be jogging gingerly as he crossed first base.
When the fourth inning rolled around, Canó was no longer in the game. While some speculated Canó had been benched for not running hard, it turns out Canó injured himself on the play.
Left quad tightness for Robinson Cano, per broadcasters
— Mike Mazzeo (@MazzYahoo) May 23, 2019
It’s yet another blow in what was been a tough season for Canó. After going 0-for-2 on Wednesday, Canó is hitting just .241/.287/.371 over 181 plate appearances this year.
There’s evidence that will turn around. Canó still has a strong 44.7 percent hard-hit rate and solid exit velocity. He’s making less contact, which might explain his heightened strikeout rate, but there’s still something left in the tank.
In order to prove that, Canó needs to be healthy. Given how poorly things have gone to start the season, Canó missing significant time now won’t help endear him to Mets fans hoping for more.
———
Chris Cwik is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
More from Yahoo Sports:
