A Wild Yo Sighting: Yoenis Cespedes participates in running, fielding and hitting drills

One of the key questions heading into the 2020 season for the Mets (besides who the new manager will be) has been how ready is Yoenis Cespedes? It appears that the outfielder is close to 100%, as he posted a video of himself on Instagram preparing for the upcoming season.

The short video showed Cespedes running, hitting and shagging fly balls. Of course, he showed off with a behind-the-back catch.

https://twitter.com/ynscspds/status/1219368135171723270?s=20

It is an encouraging sign for the 34-year-old, who was previously seen taking batting practice in November via a video from Mets minor-league instructor Endy Chavez.

While a small sample size, it is an important one for Cespedes. Not appearing in a baseball game since 2018 due to bone spurs and a right ankle fracture following an incident with a wild boar (as reported by the NY Post), Mets brass decided to take matters into their own hands. The team restructured Cespedes’ four-year, $110 million; instead of being owed 29.6 million, he’s guaranteed $6 million.

This could make things interesting. In his final year of the deal, Cespedes’ salary can increase to $11 million if he doesn’t open the season on the injured list. He can also make $9 million in performance bonuses. Seeing what is on the line, it is only fitting Cespedes would be pushing himself harder than ever before. Teasing fans with workout videos is also a good ploy in showing how dedicated he is to his comeback, and his payday.

It is unknown how ready he is to make a true return to major league play, but Cespedes has managed to create a buzz with just a 40+ second video. Perhaps there is hope after all for the often-injured sensation.