SEATTLE -- For all the injuries early in his career, Jose Reyes has stayed uncharacteristically healthy throughout his past season-plus with the Mets. That threatened to change in the fifth inning Sunday, when Reyes left the Mets' 9-1 loss to the Mariners after James Paxton hit him on the left forearm with a 98-mph fastball.
But X-rays came back negative on Reyes' arm, giving him hope that he can return to the Mets' lineup as soon as Tuesday in Colorado.
"When I came inside here, I couldn't even move my fingers," Reyes said in the clubhouse following the game. "It was very painful. Right now, it's still sore, but it's better than before."
After Paxton hit him, Reyes hunched on the ground for about a minute, speaking to members of the training staff before walking off the field. Asdrubal Cabrera replaced him as a pinch-runner, taking over at third base as Matt Reynolds shifted to short.
The Mets plan to send Reyes' X-ray results back to New York for further evaluation, but team officials were confident Sunday that nothing is broken. Recently taking full-time control of the Mets' starting shortstop job, Reyes is batting .226 with nine home runs and 13 stolen bases in 100 games.
"It's a good thing that we have a day off [Monday]," Reyes said. "I'm going to put a lot of ice on it and we'll see what's going on."
If Reyes' injury lingers, it could accelerate the timetable of prospect Amed Rosario, who was likely to debut in early August anyway. Rosario's status also depends in part on Cabrera, who could be traded before Monday's non-waiver deadline.
The Mets' top-rated prospect, Rosario is batting .329 with seven homers, seven triples and 19 steals in 93 games for Triple-A Las Vegas.