Rosario, d'Arnaud exit with minor injuries

CHICAGO -- In a season full of injuries, the Mets have found no reprieve. Shortstop Amed Rosario and catcher Travis d'Arnaud left Thursday's 14-6 loss to the Cubs in the fifth inning due to physical ailments, though both players considered the aches minor enough that they may be able to return to the lineup Friday.
Rosario departed with a tight right hip flexor, which he said initially began bothering him in the first inning. Rosario stayed in the game until he grounded out to end the fifth, jogging gingerly from home plate to first base.
The 21-year-old finished 1-for-3 to lift his season average to .274 in 36 games, with four home runs, three triples, two doubles and six stolen bases. José Reyes shifted from second base to shortstop in his absence, with Gavin Cecchini entering at second.
"It just feels like something that's maybe a little annoying, but it doesn't feel like anything serious," Rosario said through an interpreter. "I guess we'll wait and see."
The top-ranked prospect in all of baseball according to MLBPipeline.com, Rosario missed six games earlier this month due to a bruised right index finger.
d'Arnaud slipped attempting to field a Taylor Davis infield single in the second inning, also committing a throwing error on the play. He said he twisted his right knee in the process, though d'Arnaud was even more confident than Rosario that he would be ready for the Mets' series opener Friday in Atlanta.

"I'll be good," d'Arnaud said. "I'll be ready to play."
Still, the Mets are likely to exercise caution with d'Arnaud, given their depth at catcher. Kevin Plawecki has started regularly behind the plate since his callup in late August, and the Mets recently promoted a third catcher, No. 11 prospect Tomás Nido, to give them insurance at the position. Nido collected his first big league hit and RBI on Thursday.

d'Arnaud has responded well to the competition, homering in the third inning to give him two blasts in his last five games, and seven RBIs in his last seven.