PITTSBURGH -- Mets outfielder Juan Lagares believes he will not ultimately need surgery for a thumb injury that he hopes to start playing through as soon as this weekend.
Lagares, who was on the active roster for Tuesday's doubleheader against the Pirates but did not appear in either game, was available to pinch-run if needed. Otherwise, he plans to wait another two to three days for the swelling to decrease in his left thumb, which he injured making a diving catch Saturday in Miami. A subsequent MRI revealed a partial ligament tear.
Though Lagares has said all along that he hopes to avoid the disabled list, there was some thought that he would need surgery on the thumb after the season regardless of how this summer unfolds. But Lagares does not agree with that assessment.
"It's not [a] full [tear]," Lagares said. "It's just a little tear."
Overall this season, Lagares is batting .276 with two home runs in 44 games. He has started regularly against left-handed pitchers, otherwise coming off the bench as a frequent defensive replacement.