Mets shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera doesn't need surgery on knee

Cabrera played hurt for the final six weeks of the Mets’ season

Mets shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera will not need surgery on his left knee, according to Kristie Ackert of the Daily News.

Cabrera met with a doctor last week and was prescribed two weeks of rest. He will then begin his regular offseason workouts.

After spending Aug. 1 to Aug. 18 on the disabled list, Cabrera played the second half of August and all of September while managing a strained patellar tendon, often writhing in pain during at-bats or on the bases.

Despite the injury, he played in every game from Aug. 19 through the end of the season.

Cabrera hit .280/.336/.474 SLG with 23 HR and 62 RBI in 141 games.

He’s under contract through next season at $8.25 million. The Mets also hold a team option on him for for 2018, which would pay him $8.5 million.

When the Mets signed Cabrera during the offseason, the move came out of nowhere and most (fans and reporters alike) were confused. Not because Cabrera didn’t have offensive upside, but because the defensive metrics at shortstop were less than kind to him.

While Cabrera doesn’t have the best range, he really was a stabilizing force at shortstop in 2016. And he was also a tremendous influence in the clubhouse.

Most importantly, he was arguably the Mets’ second-most important offensive player, behind only Yoenis Cespedes.

Along with Cabrera’s terrific production in 2016 was our ability to post this incredible gif on Twitter every time he did something positive:

He’s not Cosmo Kramer. He’s Asdrubal Cabrera, the Assman!

And there’s no reason to think he’ll be any less important to the Mets in 2017 than he was in 2016.

In an ideal world, David Wright will be back and the infield will consist of him, Cabrera, Jose Reyes, and Lucas Duda.

If not, the Mets might have to get creative, and Cabrera’s versatility would allow them to do so.