Lagares is preferred by Terry Collins as the Mets' leadoff hitter, Marc Carig of NY Newsday reports. The sentiment seems to be Lagares will be leading off for the Mets unless he has a disastrous spring training. The 25-year-old isn't ideal due to his low walk rate, but him in the leading off would make a strong stolen base threat, with some runs and batting average thrown in.

Lagares (elbow) and Curtis Granderson will battle it out in spring training to determine who leads off for the Mets, the ESPN New York reports.Neither is an ideal candidate. Lagares had a .321 on-base average for the year, though he showed he could handle the role late in the season. Granderson had a .326 on-base average overall, including .289 in 235 plate appearances while leading off. However, Granderson has hitting coach Kevin Long touting him for the role and he did spend time successfully as the Tigers' leadoff hitter from 2006-09. On the flip side, Lagares stole nine bases his final 18 games while leading off, which might give him the edge.

Lagares (elbow) is slated to open the season as the Mets' leadoff hitter but will need to improve his plate discipline to keep the job, ESPN New York reports. If Lagares can stick as the leadoff hitter, it would allow the Mets to alternate righties and lefties throughout the lineup, with Daniel Murphy batting second, David Wright third, Lucas Duda fourth, Michael Cuddyer fifth and Curtis Granderson sixth. Lagares had a 96:20 K:BB ratio and .321 OBA but showed he could steal bases after being prompted to be more aggressive last September, which will aid him in remaining as the top of the order hitter.

Lagares (elbow) said Thursday that he hopes to resume baseball activities in a week or two, NJ.com reports. The 25-year-old will spend the winter in Port St. Lucie, Florida, where the Mets' spring training complex is located, rehabbing a sprained elbow he suffered in mid-September. Lagares said Thursday that he was feeling "very good" and added that he doesn't necessarily have plans to change his offseason workout routine to help his long-term health. A .281/.321/.382 hitter during the 2014 campaign, Lagares' biggest contributions came in center field, and he was recognized for those contributions Tuesday with his first career Gold Glove award.

Lagares (elbow) will not play again this season, Mike Vorkunov of the Star-Ledger reports. Although Lagares' 2014 campaign is over, his outlook is generally positive, as he will not need surgery on his sprained right elbow. The 25-year-old batted .281 in 116 games this season, close to 40 points above his 2013 mark, but his biggest contributions came in center field. He's widely considered a frontrunner for the NL Gold Glove award.

Lagares (elbow) did not travel with the team for its weekend series in Atlanta, ESPN New York's Adam Rubin reports. Manager Terry Collins announced on Wednesday that Lagares would miss at least a few more games, and it sounds like he will be out until his reexamination next week. Those chasing counting stats in single-season leagues might be best suited to look for help elsewhere on the waiver wire, as it's not guaranteed that Lagares plays again this season.

Mets manager Terry Collins said Wednesday that Lagares (elbow) will miss a few more days at least, Newsday's Marc Carig reports. An MRI on Lagares' elbow revealed a sprain, and while he is without a set timetable for a return, it sounds like he's in danger of missing most, if not all, of this weekend's series against Atlanta. Kirk Nieuwenhuis replaced Lagares in center after he left Tuesday's game and will likely draw most of the starts there until Lagares is cleared to return.

Lagares (elbow) has an elbow sprain, and is not sure when he'll be able to return, Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com reports. Lagares left Tuesday's game after hyperextending his right elbow, and underwent an MRI Wednesday that revealed the sprain. He'll have to consult with the team first, but at this point there's no clear timetable for a return.

Lagares (elbow) will meet with doctors Wednesday, likely getting an MRI, at which point his status going forward should become more evident, the Star-Ledger's Mike Vorkunov reports. He left Tuesday's game with a hyper-extended right elbow, which he injured trying to throw a runner out at second base. He initially hyper-extended the elbow last weekend in Cincinnati, and then re-injured it Tuesday, while also suffering a stinger. It seems likely that Lagares will miss a couple games at least, and the Mets may eventually decide that it's best to shut him down for the season, but we will know more Wednesday.

Lagares left Tuesday's game due to a hyperextended right elbow. This isn't good news, as Lagares was experiencing the best run at the plate of his his career. Kirk Nieuwenhuis replaced him in center field, and we'll await further word of a potential timetable for Lagares' return, although with the season winding down, those in single-season leagues may be wise to move on to another hot bat.