WASHINGTON -- One of the only Mets starters to last the season's first three months without a significant injury, Curtis Granderson departed Tuesday's 5-0 loss to the Nationals after a rain delay because he was unable to "get loose," according to the team. The culprit turned out to be a sore right calf, which has bothered Granderson since Saturday in Atlanta.
Granderson, 35, says he cannot pinpoint the exact moment he tweaked his calf muscle, but the Mets held him out of Sunday's starting lineup as a precaution. He returned to play Monday still feeling the effects of the injury, and struggled to work his leg back into game shape following Tuesday's 85-minute rain delay.
"Honestly, the weird thing was jogging on and off the field between innings," Granderson said. "That's when I kind of felt it. But when I was going after balls and stuff over the course of the game, or going first-to-third like I did [Monday], it didn't necessarily bother me too much. It was the little things that just let me know it was there."
It was a rough day overall for Granderson, who grimaced after banging against the Nationals Park fence while catching a Wilson Ramos flyout in the fourth. But that discomfort did not linger. The calf injury might; manager Terry Collins indicated after the game that Granderson is likely to sit out Wednesday's series finale in Washington, even if it's only as a precaution.
Alejandro De Aza replaced Granderson in right field Tuesday, finishing 0-for-2, and will likely draw the start Wednesday if Granderson rests.
The Mets' leadoff man in 67 of their 76 games this season, Granderson has appeared in 74 total games, batting .225 with 13 home runs and 22 RBIs. The Mets expect to drop him in the batting order once Jose Reyes is ready to debut, giving Granderson more opportunities to drive in runs.
The Mets received a second injury scare in the seventh inning on Tuesday, when Hansel Robles crumpled to the ground after taking a Ryan Zimmerman comebacker off his right leg. But Robles eventually walked off the field under his own power, and the Mets are not overly concerned about the lingering bruise.

"He'll be all right," Collins said.