Jay Bruce’s back is a bigger issue than he believed.
The Mets outfielder was scheduled to return to the lineup Saturday after leaving the previous night’s game with back spasms, but Bruce was scratched from the lineup two hours before facing the Cubs at Citi Field.
Prior to the game, Bruce said he was feeling better, and was confident he would play. But the 31-year-old said his back didn’t loosen up, as he expected, and he described sitting Saturday as a precautionary move.
“I’ve got a pretty good pulse on how my body feels, what I can play through and not play through and stuff like that,” Bruce said before warming up.