NEW YORK -- Chicago Cubs right fielder Mark DeRosa had to leave Wednesday's game against the New York Mets after suffering a left calf strain during an awkward slide into second base.

"I'll take two or three days off and see what happens," DeRosa said. "It's not something I'm too worried about."

DeRosa hit his 21st homer to lead off the second inning against the Mets' Oliver Perez.

In the fifth, he lined a double to left with the bases loaded to drive in two runs. DeRosa slid into second base, and then came over to third to talk to the Cubs' athletic trainers during a pitching change. He was then pulled from the game and replaced by Kosuke Fukudome.

Cubs manager Lou Piniella had already forecast a couple of days off for DeRosa, who has set career highs this season in home runs and RBIs (87).

"We were going to give him a couple days off, but that was because of his shoulder not because of his legs," Piniella said.

"I was going to get tomorrow off and would've liked it under different circumstances," DeRosa said. "If this had been a different scenario and a game that really meant something, I probably wouldn't have said something. But I think the right thing to do is come out of the game."