NEW YORK -- Yoenis Cespedes cranky right quadriceps has flared up, prompting manager Terry Collins to hold the slugger out of the Mets lineup for Thursdays series opener against the Colorado Rockies and potentially beyond.Cespedes was used as a pinch hitter in the seventh inning on Thursday, but Collins said he knew the Rockies intended to intentionally walk Cespedes before sending him to the plate. Cespedes immediately was replaced by pinch runner Steven Matz in the Mets 2-1 loss.After delivering a go-ahead two-run homer in the seventh inning Wednesday night in an eventual 5-4 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals, Cespedes complained to Collins about renewed leg soreness.Last night he came in when the game was over and said it was starting to bother him pretty bad, Collins said.Cespedes originally injured the quadriceps on July 8. He missed more than a week, including skipping the All-Star Game. As a concession to try to keep Cespedes in the lineup upon his return, the Mets abandoned using him in center field, even though that has created complications with how to fill the position.However, limiting Cespedes to left field -- which requires less running than center field -- has not sufficiently allowed the leg issue to subside.The loss of Cespedes, potentially for multiple days, removes the Mets most fearsome bat and further depletes the lineup.Third baseman Jose Reyes is likewise active but unavailable because of a strained intercostal on his left side. Reyes injured the muscle in Game 1 of Tuesdays doubleheader against the Cardinals. The Mets had hoped Reyes would be capable of returning to the lineup Friday, but Collins now portrays that target as improbable.He was pretty sore last night when he left here, Collins said Wednesday.As a result, the Mets will play with a three-man bench -- Michael Conforto, Kelly Johnson and Travis dArnaud -- on Thursday against Rockies left-hander Tyler Anderson.Collins said it was unfortunate that Cespedes would have to sit against a southpaw, but the manager concluded that it was just not worth risking having Cespedes blow out the muscle.Collins opted to start Alejandro De Aza in left field over Conforto in Cespedes absence because of Confortos struggles against left-handed pitching. Conforto is hitting .091 (4-for-44) against southpaws this season.Restricting Cespedes to left field has forced the Mets against right-handed pitching to use Conforto in center field for the first time in his professional career.One of the things we talked about after Ces said he didnt think he could play was, We have got to find out if this guy is going to be able to hit left-handers, Collins said about Conforto. As we look back on his season so far, if it wasnt for his struggles against left-handers, his numbers wouldnt be as bad as they look. And so we just said, Hes got a lot on his plate. We need to try to score some runs. We need to win this game. Weve pronounced it enough that, hey, these are big games now -- every one of them -- that we thought wed put somebody in [left field] who we think is going to have a little bit better chance to get some hits.There certainly can be an argument on the other side that this guy [Conforto] is the future here. Hes the prospect. Youve got to get him in there against some left-handed pitching or else hes not going to hit left-handed pitching. I certainly understand that. But right now, as Ive said before, I think weve got to give ourselves the best opportunity to try to win this game today. And hes just struggled against lefties, so we thought wed go with the other guy.Collins noted that the Mets will have the use of a designated hitter during five straight games in American League ballparks beginning Wednesday -- at Yankee Stadium, then in Detroit. Cespedes likely will serve as the DH in the bulk, if not all of those games to keep him off his legs as much as possible.Cespedes is hitting .297 with 22 homers and 58 RBIs in 320 at-bats this season. His arrival at last years non-waiver trade deadline helped propel the Mets to become the first team in MLB history to reach the World Series after ranking last in the majors in runs scored on July 31.Hes a huge piece, Collins said. You look at what hes done, and you take those home runs and those RBIs out of the middle of our lineup, and its tough to replace it. Balenciaga Speed Trainer Sale . Uniteds eighth defeat of a wretched campaign means Liverpool, which currently occupies the fourth and final Champions League place, could go nine points clear of its fierce rival by beating West Bromwich Albion on Sunday. Charlie Adam scored both of Stokes goals at Britannia Stadium either side of Robin van Persies equalizer, with a miserable day for seventh-place United capped by first-half injuries to centre halves Jonny Evans and Phil Jones that forced them off. Balenciaga Shoes Discount . Once again Jordan Cieciwa (@FitCityJordan) and I (@LynchOnSports) go head to head in our picks. Last weekend at UFC Fight Night 32 my #TeamLynch got the best of #TeamJC by a score of 9-6. Let us know which side youre on for UFC 167 use the hashtag #TeamLynch or #TeamJC on Twitter. http://www.balenciagacheapshoes.com/balenciaga-speed-trainer-sale.html . But when it comes to determining if Raymond will find a place on the Leafs roster when training camp concludes in a week, well, that decision will ultimately fall to the head coach. Balenciaga Speed Trainer Black Cheap . Canada is now down to its 22-player limit, although but players wont be registered until Christmas Day. Changes could still be made as a result of a suspension or injury. Balenciaga Triple S White Sale . The team said Saturday that Lopez was hurt during its 121-120 overtime loss at Philadelphia on Friday. The Nets said they would issue another update next week after consultation with their doctors. CHICAGO -- James Shields had another poor outing for the Chicago White Sox. Their offense didnt fare much better.Shields allowed seven runs in 4 2/3 innings as the White Sox managed just two hits in a 9-0 loss to the Oakland Athletics on Friday night. The right-hander has surrendered 27 earned runs in 14 innings over his last four starts for the White Sox, who have dropped 10 of 13.I need to finish strong, no doubt about it, said Shields, who is 3-8 since the White Sox acquired him from San Diego on June 4. Im not helping this team out right now, so I need to do my job and get better and move on.Kendall Graveman faced one batter over the minimum while throwing a two-hitter and Khris Davis hit his 31st home run to hand Shields his 15th loss overall.Graveman (9-8) allowed leadoff singles to Jose Abreu in the third and Adam Eaton in the seventh. Both were immediately doubled off first on line drives. Justin Morneau reached on an error by first baseman Yonder Alonso in the eighth.Graveman struck out five and needed 97 pitches for his second complete game of the season.Boy, I was looking to see what time it was. It felt like it was an hour and 55-minute game, at least on his end, As manager Bob Melvin said. Weve seen him pitch well. Weve seen the sinker, weve seen the cutter. We just havent seen a shutout like this.Stephen Vogt and Yonder Alonso also homered for the As, who snapped a five-game losing streak.Shields (5-15) matched a career-high for losses in a season set with Tampa Bay in 2010. The three homers allowed gave him a major league high-tying 29 and the six earned runs gave him a major league-high 91.Im not getting the job done with runners on base, Shields said. When you give up homers, its fine, as long as no ones on. Thats not what Im doing right now. I need to get better at that.Shields walked three, includding .dddddddddddd211-hitting Max Muncy in the second to force in a run. Davis hit a solo shot to left in the third and Vogt and Alonso connected with two outs in a four-run fifth.Davis also singled, doubled and scored three runs and Vogt added an RBI double for the As, who had scored three or fewer runs in 12 of their previous 19 games.He had a stretch of three or four outings that he was doing well, White Sox catcher Dioner Navarro said about Shields. He has to keep grinding and find something that clicks. I still believe that hes going to help us out.Graveman came in having allowed five home runs in his last four starts. But the right-hander used strong command while allowing the fewest hits of his season.His ball moves a lot, White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. We didnt get anything done. I mean, all the way around it wasnt a good night for us.TRAINERS ROOMWhite Sox: 2B Brett Lawrie, on a rehab assignment for a hamstring injury, experienced quadriceps soreness earlier in the week. He didnt play Friday for Double-A Birmingham. . OF Avisail Garcia (knee) is expected to begin a rehab stint in the next few days.ZERO AGAINThe White Sox were shut out for the ninth time this season and the first time since July 16, at the Angels.SEMIENS STREAKAs and former White Sox INF Marcus Semien had an RBI single in the eighth while playing in his 124th consecutive game. But that streak may soon end.His wife is going to have something to say about that, Melvin said.Semiens wife is due Saturday.UP NEXTWhite Sox ace Chris Sale (14-6, 3.30 ERA) seeks his first win since July 2 when he faces fellow lefty Ross Detwiler on Saturday night. Sale has allowed eight earned runs and 15 hits in his last two starts. ' ' '