Francisco Lindor gets good news on MRI, hopes to return to Mets' lineup in a few days
New York Mets' Francisco Lindor throws to first base for an out on a ball hit by Philadelphia Phillies' Trea Turner during the first inning of a baseball game, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, in Philadelphia. Credit: AP/Derik Hamilton
Francisco Lindor has carried so much of this Mets season on his back — metaphorically and, given his recent injury, literally, too. Now it’s time for his teammates to return the favor. The good news, though, is that it may be for only a few days.
Lindor said on Monday that an MRI on his ailing lower back revealed no structural damage, and though there’s no precise timeline for his return, he believes it will be a matter of only a few days. In other words, he expects to be back in the regular season, possibly as soon as the Mets’ four-game series against the Phillies, which begins Thursday.
Lindor said he hopes to resume baseball activities Tuesday or Wednesday and gave his estimated time range for his return at two to five days.
“I was praying on the way to the MRI, CT scan, that it was going to be something day-to-day, and the good Lord answered my prayers,” he said. “I’m here. I probably won’t do much today, but it’s something where I should be starting to do physical activities, whether tomorrow or the next day, depending on how my back reacts.”
Lindor, who’s been dealing with discomfort for about 10 days, missed a game for the first time this season Saturday and was pulled after one inning Sunday — a major cause for concern, given that he has routinely played through injury throughout his career.
“Honestly, relief,” manager Carlos Mendoza said of his reaction. “Really good news. We didn’t know what was going to happen . . . The hope is that he’s going to be a player for us before the year is over. I was expecting the worst, to be honest with you.”
The injury does not rise to the severity of a strain, Lindor said, but he added that he still felt tightness and discomfort and that it was inhibiting his defense. He won’t be receiving an injection at the site.
“I have a lot of faith,” Lindor said. “I left everything in God’s hands, but at the same time, I was a little concerned. Whenever you’re doing one of those things, you never know what it’s going to show.”
On Monday against the Nationals, Jose Iglesias slotted into shortstop and Eddy Alvarez played second.
“It sucks,” Lindor said. “I don’t want to be in this position, but I believe in my teammates, I believe in what they can do and I’ll be the biggest cheerleader today and probably the next couple of days.”
After Monday, the Mets have only 12 games left in the regular season; they entered the day tied with Atlanta for the third and final wild-card spot, two games behind the Diamondbacks and 3 1⁄2 behind the Padres.
The path to postseason glory is going to be a thorny one: After this three-game set against the sub-.500 Nationals, they close out with the Phillies — the team with the best record in baseball — Atlanta and the NL Central-leading Brewers. The final two series are on the road.
“Keep pushing, keep climbing, stay the course,” Lindor said of his message to the team. “Don’t take any day for granted, don’t take any opponent for granted and just keep climbing.”
It would be a tough road to hoe even with Lindor in the lineup. The Mets already have lost Jeff McNeil for at least the regular season with a broken wrist and Starling Marte is working his way back from a forearm injury.
Lindor has a 7.4 fWAR — nearly five full wins above replacement more than the next three players on the Mets’ roster: Brandon Nimmo, Mark Vientos and Sean Manaea, all tied at 2.6. He’s slashing .271/.342/.496 with 31 homers, 86 RBIs, 27 stolen bases and a 136 OPS+. His 17 outs above average are tied for third in MLB and tied with the Royals’ Bobby Witt Jr. for the most by a shortstop.
“Nobody is going to feel sorry for us, and that’s the message here talking to the players here,” Mendoza said. “People are going to have to continue to step up. We’ve done it all year.
“The good news is that he’s going to be back, but in the meantime, we can’t just sit here and wait until he gets back. We’ve got to take care of business. This is an important game. This is an important season.”
Laura Albanese is a reporter, feature writer and columnist covering local professional sports teams; she began at Newsday in 2007 as an intern.
