LOS ANGELES -- A few hours after Wilmer Flores stole his first base in two years and just the second of his career, he looked as if he had been in a prizefight. The bridge of Flores' nose featured a bright red gash. Two purplish bruises adorned his forehead, with another on the left side of his neck.
But the injuries for Flores were merely cosmetic, the product of a batting helmet that turned against him as he dove into second base. The Mets' reserve infielder remained in Monday night's 4-2 win over the Dodgers until the end, and should be available as needed this week at Dodger Stadium.
"I had the mirrors taken out of his hotel room," Mets manager Terry Collins quipped.
With an excellent jump off Dodgers pitcher Scott Kazmir in the fourth inning, Flores made it to second base in enough time to beat catcher A.J. Ellis' throw. But as Flores slid headfirst toward third baseman Justin Turner, who was covering second at the time due to a defensive overshift, his helmet dislodged from his head. It ricocheted off Turner's leg and back into Flores, cutting him on the nose and bruising him in three places.
"The helmet came off and it hit his knee, and the helmet somehow hit me," Flores said, feeling well enough to laugh about the situation after the game. "Thank God I'm OK."
Flores finished 1-for-3 with a walk and a run scored. With regular second baseman Neil Walker battling a bruised right shin, Flores could start a second straight game at second base on Tuesday night against the Dodgers.