CHICAGO -- Gold Glove center fielder Juan Lagares has a "slight strain" in his right arm pit, manager Terry Collins said. Lagares is out of the New York Mets' starting lineup against the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday (8:05 p.m. ET) at Wrigley Field.
Lagares suffered the injury last Tuesday at Citi Field, when he made a highlight-reel diving catch in left-center on a shot from Baltimore's Everth Cabrera. Lagares managed to avoid left fielder Michael Cuddyer while making the grab, but Lagares' right elbow jammed into his rib cage on the play.
Lagares underwent an MRI on Tuesday in Chicago. Nothing alarming was detected, according to Collins.
"There's no breaks. There's no blood clots," Collins said. "There's no real severe trauma area. It's just been bothering him. It bothers him to throw a little bit. It hurts him to run. ...I wouldn't be at all surprised if it hurts him worse swinging than he admits, too. It's kind of bothered him more in the last few days than it did when it first happened. If one or two days [off] means he'll be OK, then we'll give him that."
Lagares suggested the best-case scenario is returning to the lineup Wednesday.
"I thought with the time, the little pain would go away. It's still there," Lagares said. "It's just a little, but probably I tried to do too much. I'll take today and let's see tomorrow, I hope. I'm praying for tomorrow."
Related or not, Lagares is 2-for-25 in his past six games.
Kirk Nieuwenhuis instead starts in center field on Tuesday at Wrigley Field. Nieuwenhuis is 3-for-27 on the season.
