NEW YORK -- Shortly after the Mets learned last week that Juan Lagares will miss the rest of this season due to a torn toe ligament in his left foot, team officials gathered to discuss their options. Beyond the Mets' top three healthy outfielders, Jay Bruce, Michael Conforto and Brandon Nimmo, their depth chart consisted of Phillip Evans and Wilmer Flores -- both infielders by trade despite their recent dabblings in the outfield. At Triple-A Las Vegas, the Mets do not boast any high-level outfield prospects.
As manager Mickey Callaway put it: "We don't have many outfielders.