The New York Mets' pitching staff will be missing a piece for a short period of time as Bartolo Colon will take a leave of absence from the team.
According to ESPN New York's Adam Rubin, Colon will be away from the team at least one day, as Aug. 18 marks the one-year anniversary of his mother's death following a battle with breast cancer.
It's not expected to be a long absence, as Rubin noted Colon could return as soon as Wednesday and that the right-hander wasn't scheduled to pitch during the Mets' two-game series with the Baltimore Orioles starting on Tuesday.
Colon has been a steady veteran presence in New York's rotation since joining the team in 2014. He broke the 200-inning barrier last season and could come close to reaching that mark again, currently sitting 141.1 with less than two months remaining in the regular season.
The Mets rotation runs deep with Colon, Jon Niese, Matt Harvey, Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard currently occupying the top five spots.
Even if Colon were to miss a scheduled start, as he last pitched on Aug. 14 and would be in line to start on Friday at Colorado, the Mets were off on Monday and are off on Thursday. That could allow manager Terry Collins to use Niese or Harvey on regular rest this weekend before the 42-year-old returns.
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