NEW YORK -- When Robinson Canó tore his left hamstring on Aug. 4, Mets doctors gave him a timetable of 6-12 weeks for a full recovery. Anything other than the most optimistic end of that timetable would have knocked Cano out for the rest of the season.
Three weeks later, Cano appears to be following that best-case path. Cano took live batting practice Tuesday for the first time since injuring his leg, and he intends to do so again on Wednesday. While Cano and the Mets aren’t saying when they expect him to return, it appears likely to happen at some point in September.
“I’m not a doctor, but I’m always optimistic,” Cano said. “I’m going to work hard to get better, make my legs stronger and be able to come back and play this year.”
Cano’s Tuesday workout included some runs from home plate to first base at a pace slower than a sprint, but faster than a jog. He also took two separate rounds of batting practice -- one against a live pitcher throwing full speed and another against a regular batting-practice pitcher.
“He’s progressing really well,” Mets manager Mickey Callaway said. “He’s swinging the bat well, running really well. We still have some steps to get over the hump, but another guy that we’re going to continue to push every day and re-evaluate, re-assess.”
Before injuring his leg, Cano was batting .252/.295/.415 with 10 home runs in 86 games, but those numbers included a .600 batting average in August. The Mets hope Cano can give them a jolt just in time to make a final push toward the postseason.
Cano also gave the Mets a different sort of lift on Tuesday, gifting each of his teammates a personalized scooter. He ordered them back in June after seeing several of his teammates riding them around San Diego, but the personalization process took some time to complete.
“[If they can ride them] from the parking lot to the locker room, that would be great,” Cano said, laughing.
From elsewhere in the trainer’s room
Outfielder Brandon Nimmo was scheduled to play nine innings in the outfield Tuesday at Triple-A Syracuse, then another five on Wednesday as he rehabs from a bulging cervical disk. The Mets will re-evaluate Nimmo after those two games, making it at least possible he could return to the team as soon as Friday.
At that point, Nimmo will have appeared in eight Minor League games and will be 15 days into a maximum 20-day rehab assignment.