Ben Solomon for The New York Times
When Mets Manager Luis Rojas realized Yoenis Cespedes, one of his most powerful hitters, was not at the ballpark in Atlanta on Sunday morning, he sent his outfielder a text message and followed with a phone call. Cespedes did not reply.
The Mets then sent a security detail to the team hotel. Cespedes was not there, and his belongings were gone, too.
Hours later, the Mets learned from Cespedes’s agent that the player was healthy and not in danger, but that he had decided to opt out of the 2020 season for what General Manager Brodie Van Wagenen called “Covid-related reasons.