NEW YORK — Sure didn’t take much time for Yoenis Céspedes to swing right into a DH role in his long-awaited return.
Céspedes came back with a bang, immediately capitalizing on the new designated hitter rule in the National League by launching a home run that sent Stetson alum Jacob deGrom and the New York Mets past the Atlanta Braves 1-0 in their season opener Friday.
After five dominant innings from deGrom, who was popping the catcher’s mitt with 99 mph fastballs at the start, Céspedes connected in the seventh off reliever Chris Martin (0-1) for his first long ball since his previous major league game on July 20, 2018.