MIAMI -- Juan Lagares left his feet, doing what he does best, and for a brief moment was airborne. When gravity brought the Mets' center fielder back to the turf, his glove hit first, a good many of his 215 pounds piling momentarily onto his left thumb.
Lagares' catch robbed Ichiro Suzuki of a two-run hit, keeping the Mets within striking distance in a game they ultimately came from behind to win, 6-4. But it happened at a price. Lagares bruised his thumb, and he will undergo testing Sunday to determine the extent of the injury.
"I just felt a little weird," said Lagares, who gave way to a pinch-hitter after playing through the injury for a full inning. "I didn't want to take the chance. I just wanted to make sure it's OK. We'll see [Sunday] how it feels."
Asked afterward if he was particularly worried about his thumb, Lagares said, "not really," adding that he was not feeling any acute pain. But Lagares did experience enough discomfort to make gripping his bat difficult, despite singling and stealing a base in the top of the seventh.
Compounding the issue was the fact that the Mets were unable to find a doctor for Lagares to see on Saturday night. He will eventually undergo an X-ray on the thumb, but not until Sunday morning at the earliest.
All of that uncertainty drew attention away from the catch itself: a diving play that saved two runs and was vintage Lagares. After a down year defensively in 2015, Lagares has reemerged this season as one of the top center fielders in the Majors.
Asked if he thought off the bat he had a chance to catch Suzuki's liner, Lagares remained stone-faced.
"I always think I have a chance," Lagares said.