Yoenis Cespedes hitless in first rehab game for Class A St. Lucie

New York Mets left fielder Yoenis Cespedes, who has been out since April 28 because of a left hamstring strain, began his minor league rehab assignment Friday night, going 0-for-2 with a walk and a run scored for the Class A St. Lucie Mets.

Cespedes, 31, also played six innings in left field before being replaced.

"It was good to get back on the field today," Cespedes said in a statement released by the team. "It's been really hard being away from the team. I look forward to hopefully getting back to New York soon."

Cespedes originally injured his hamstring against the Phillies on April 20, but the Mets chose not to immediately place him on the disabled list. He missed three games, then came back and ended up re-injuring the hamstring against the Braves on April 27.

Cespedes has been on the DL ever since. He hopes to return to action next week.

After signing a four-year, $110 million deal before the season, Cespedes is batting .270 with six home runs and 10 RBIs in 18 games.