Kirk Nieuwenhuis left yesterday’s game against the Marlins after he hurt his left knee on a head-first slide into second base, but he received some encouraging news today. According to Adam Rubin of ESPN New York, Nieuwenhuis was diagnosed with a bone bruise and doesn’t have any ligament damage.
While it appears that Nieuwenhuis managed to avoid a serious injury, he was still limping badly this afternoon and estimates that he could miss anywhere from a few days to a week. The hope is that anti-inflammatories will get him back on the field soon.
Nieuwenhuis, who is trying to secure the starting center fielder job, batted .252/.315/.376 with seven home runs, 28 RBI, four stolen bases and a .691 OPS in 91 games with the Mets last season. The 25-year-old had just one hit over his first 18-bats this spring prior to the injury. Collin Cowgill, Matt den Dekker and Jordany Valdespin are among the alternatives for center field.
