Disaster averted: Yoenis Cespedes hit by pitch, suffers bruised fingers

After clinching their first division title since 2006 over the weekend, the only thing that could go wrong for the New York Mets this week would be an injury to a key player.

On Wednesday night in Philadelphia, things very nearly went catastrophically wrong, as star outfielder Yoenis Cespedes was struck on the left hand with an 89-mph fastball from Phillies right-hander Justin De Fratus.

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Fortunately, the Mets star avoided a major injury. X-Rays were taken and no broken bones were revealed. Cespedes was diagnosed with contusions to two fingers, meaning he should be good to go again in a couple days.

Needless to say, the hearts of Mets fans everywhere immediately went to their throats when Cespedes was hit. The one offensive piece they could absolutely not afford to lose this close to this postseason was down in a heap and in obvious pain.

It's a nightmare scenario, especially considering the most likely outcomes. When you get hit on the hand by a major-league pitch, it's a bruise or a bruise and a break. That Cespedes walked away with only the bruise means this is a best-case scenario under the circumstances.

They averted a disaster here, but we wouldn't blame Mets fans if they asked for all of their stars to be placed in bubble wrap from here on out.

Unfortunately, while there was good news on Cespedes, the hit-by-pitch sparked some bad blood between the Mets and Phillies. Though obviously not intentional, a series of hit batters on both sides followed.

In total, four batters were hit by the seventh inning. Mets reliever Hansel Robles was also ejected for throwing a 94-mph pitch near the head of Philadelphia's Cameron Rupp.  

Benches cleared, but the incident did not escalate into something physical. At least not yet, the Phillies won Wednesday's 7-5, but they'll play one more on Thursday.

Given their situation, the Mets could also ill-afford to get involved in back-and-forth of this nature. Obviously, no one wants to see Cespedes get hit or injured. Kirk Nieuwenhuis was also hit, which raised tensions even further. But the Mets would be wise to get out of Philly as quickly as possible and without any dark clouds over their heads.

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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at bigleaguestew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Townie813