With Francisco Lindor back in Mets' lineup, Luisangel Acuna demoted to bench role
The Mets' Francisco Lindor gestures to an umpire during the first inning of a game against the Mets on Friday in Milwaukee. Credit: AP/Aaron Gash
MILWAUKEE — Francisco Lindor was not fully healthy Friday, but he was “good enough to play baseball,” as he described it, so manager Carlos Mendoza put him back in the Mets’ lineup against the Brewers, batting first and playing shortstop.
It was the first time in nine games — the first time since Sept. 15 in Philadelphia, when he played one inning — that Lindor took the field. The Mets’ expectation was that he’d be able to continue to play regularly despite still working through a back injury.
Lindor’s full day Thursday, when the Mets held a workout at American Family Field upon escaping rainy Georgia, inspired optimism.
“The way he was swinging the bat, the way he was moving around, the way he ran the bases, the smile on his face, the conversations we were having,” Mendoza said. “Now we gotta go out there, watch him and continue to treat it day by day.”
Reaching down or bending over triggers the most pain, Lindor said. That includes when he puts on his shoes, for example, or fielding a ground ball.
He had not gone as far as to test his back by, say, diving for a grounder or sliding into a base. So the Mets weren’t sure how he would respond to those routine baseball actions.
“We’ll see how it goes today,” Lindor said. “It’ll be a lot of new tests out there.”
Lindor’s return meant prospect Luisangel Acuna, who filled in at shortstop during Lindor’s week-plus sidelined, was on the bench.
That is likely where Acuna will remain — at the start of games, at least.
Mets decision-makers seem content to use Acuna in a reserve role as a pinch runner, defensive replacement, maybe pinch hitter against a lefthanded reliever.
“We’re going to run out the ‘A’ lineup as often as we can,” president of baseball operations David Stearns said. “As of right now, that’s Lindor at shortstop and [Jose] Iglesias at second base. There may be spots later in games, but with Lindor back, obviously that playing time is going to dry up a little bit.”
Mendoza echoed: “He’s going to contribute . . . He’s going to continue to be a big part of this team.”
Acuna, 22, has gotten his first taste of the majors this month, batting .375 with a .394 OBP and extremely unexpected .781 slugging percentage in 10 games, plus soundly manning the field.
But the Mets all along viewed Acuna as a fringe-at-best piece of the major-league picture late this season. That changed temporarily with Lindor’s injury, but if Lindor is good to play on a daily basis, it doesn’t leave much room for Acuna.
Acuna can play second base, but Iglesias is the starter there (in Jeff McNeil’s absence because of a fractured right wrist). Acuna can play centerfield, but the Mets have Harrison Bader, Tyrone Taylor and Brandon Nimmo.
Mendoza said he would use Acuna in center “in case of emergency.”
“We know he can play center,” Mendoza said. “I don’t know that we’ll do that when you have Bader unless something crazy happens. That’s why he had a lot of reps in Triple-A.”
Would the Mets consider playing Acuna at second, Iglesias at third and Mark Vientos at DH? (That would require benching J.D. Martinez, who has slumped lately but was in the lineup Friday.)
“There’s versatility,” Mendoza said. “He provides that. It gives me and the team a lot of different options. That’s a good feeling. Not only for the starting lineup, but when you’re making moves throughout the game, having a piece like that is important.”
For the Mets, the most important piece was having Lindor.
“Now we gotta see how he responds after playing nine innings and moving around and all the stopping, sitting down, diving for balls — things that he does that you can’t replicate during a workout,” Mendoza said. “So again, day by day and see what we got. But we feel good about it.”
Tim Healey is the Mets beat writer for Newsday. Born on Long Island and raised in Connecticut, Tim has previously worked for the South Florida Sun Sentinel, the Boston Globe and MLB.com. He is also the author of “Hometown Hardball,” a book about minor league baseball in the northeast.
