Mets LF Alou leaves with calf injury

May 22, 2008 - 4:25 AM ATLANTA (Ticker) - New York Mets left fielder Moises Alou left Wednesday's game against the Atlanta Braves with a strained left calf.

The 41-year-old Alou walked off the field with one out in the bottom of the third inning and was replaced in left by Marlon Anderson.

Alou said that he initially felt tightness in the calf area during New York's "Subway Series" against the cross-town rival Yankees last weekend.

The injury flared up while Alou was walking out to the field between the top and bottom of the third. Rather than risk further injury, Alou elected to leave the game.

"To me, one of the most embarrassing things is to walk off the field like I did," he said. "Maybe if (the Braves) hit a ball in the air, something would happen. I couldn't even jog back (to the dugout)."

The oft-injured Alou will fly back to New York on Thursday to undergo an MRI exam.

"Hopefully, it's a couple-of-day thing," Alou said. "It doesn't feel good right now. Last time I had a calf (injury), I don't think I went on the DL, but it took a few days (to heal)."

It is the latest setback for Alou, who missed the first 26 games of the season while recovering from hernia surgery.

Alou also missed 2 1/2 months of last season with a strained quadriceps, a year in which he batted .341 with 13 home runs and 49 RBI in 87 games with the Mets.

In his second season with New York, Alou last played 100 games with the San Francisco Giants in 2005.