Lindor says he'll have to play through pain when he returns to Mets from back injury

NEW YORK — Francisco Lindor knows what he'll have to endure if and when he returns to the New Yok Mets lineup.

“If I play this year, I don’t think it's going to be pain free, and I'm OK with that. I just don't want it to be in constant pain where I can’t bend over, then I’m putting my team in a position where I’m not helping them as much as I can," he said Sunday. "That’s not fair for anybody. For me, it's to be in position where if it’s going to hurt, it’s going to come and go."

Lindor has missed seven straight games because of a sore back and been limited to one inning in the last nine. The star shortstop received a numbing injection on Thursday for the facet joints on each side of the spine.

“It definitely made a little bit more mild, but I didn’t fully take it away,” he said after a 2-1 win over Philadelphia.

Lindor spoke in the Mets clubhouse as daughters Kalina and Amapola played at his feet. He came out of his last game, on Sept. 15 at Philadelphia, after one inning.

“Last Sunday I couldn't really walk. I was rolling out of bed,” he said. “Right now, I can touch my daughters and make sure they’re staying here with me.”

Lindor has been working out on the field before games, hitting, running, throwing, taking grounders and hitting soft toss. He hasn't hit off pitchers and hasn't run the bases.

Lindor is batting .271 with 31 homers, 86 RBIs and 27 stolen bases. The four-time All-Star was batting .193 with seven homers and 22 RBIs through May 20 but since then is batting .307 with 24 homers and 64 RBIs in his last 101 games.

“We all play with pain. I think players would be lying if they say, oh, I feel 100%," he said. “There's something that's bothering them.”