Mets send Cabrera to NYC for further tests on knee

Following an initial MRI on his injured knee, Asdrubal Cabrera was sent back to New York by the Mets on Friday to undergo further examination.

The shortstop left Thursday's game in the first inning after experiencing soreness in his left knee while running to second base. The club sent him for an MRI that night, though Cabrera didn't believe the injury to be serious.

"I was running - with the fly ball - to second, and thinking slide," Cabrera told reporters following the game. "I saw the bad throw, so I tried to stay up. I felt something in my knee. It's sore right now."

Cabrera agreed to a two-year, $18.5-million deal with the Mets in December, following a bounce-back year with the Tampa Bay Rays. In 145 games, he hit .265/.315/.430 with 15 home runs and 28 doubles.

Should Cabrera not be ready to start the season, Ruben Tejada and Wilmer Flores are internal options to fill in at shortstop.