MILWAUKEE -- Doing their due diligence, the Mets brought injured outfielder Yoenis Cespedes to New York last week to have his lower back examined to determine if there was an underlying cause to his hamstring issues.
The tests revealed no issues with his lower back, allowing Cespedes to resume working his way back from a left hamstring strain that has sidelined him since April 27.
"The reason we did it is because he's had hamstring injuries a couple of times without any firm diagnosis because the hamstrings didn't show significant injury, swelling, fluid, those kinds of things," Mets general manager Sandy Alderson said. "So in order to rule out anything more concerning, we had him come up and run through the tests."
Alderson would not put a timeframe on a potential return date for Cespedes, only to say he expects him back soon. Cespedes recently resumed baseball activities, such as taking batting practice.
"I think knowing that there's not a significant physiological issue with his back points us in the direction of just making sure, on a routine basis, he and we are doing everything we can to make sure he's well-conditioned," Alderson said.
Worth noting
• Right-hander Seth Lugo (right elbow inflammation) and left-hander Steven Matz (left elbow inflammation) will pitch in an extended spring training game in Florida on Saturday. Alderson said both are on track to return near the end of May or beginning of June, barring a setback.
• Catcher Travis d'Arnaud has begun to rehabilitate his bruised right wrist at the team's facility in Florida.
"He's progressing," Alderson said. "At this point, it's baseball activity tolerance, so he's not hitting right now, and anything he's doing is one-handed, catching drills and so forth. We just don't want to test the wrist too soon."