Francisco Lindor’s MRI revealed no structural damage to his back, and the New York Mets shortstop is optimistic about rejoining the team’s lineup this week.
“I’m great, I’m great,” Lindor expressed before the Mets’ series opener against Washington. “I still have a little bit of pain, but we got good news. Everything seems like it’s good. It could be three-to-five days or it could be two to three. It depends on how my back reacts.”
Lindor’s recent struggles came to light when he was forced to exit early during games against Philadelphia on both Friday and Sunday, missing Saturday’s match entirely.
“When I can’t do what I love the most, which is play defense, that’s when I said something,” he noted. “I was a little timid on ground balls.”
Currently, Lindor boasts a .271 batting average, with 31 home runs, 86 RBIs, and 27 stolen bases. After a slow start where he hit .193 with seven homers and 22 RBIs through May 20, he has rebounded impressively, batting .307 with 24 homers and 64 RBIs over his last 101 games.
Mets manager Carlos Mendoza shared his relief, stating, “I was expecting the worst, to be honest with you. For Lindor to not be in the lineup one day and then to be in the lineup and then come out of the game after one inning — that’s pretty telling, because I know how hard and how tough this guy is and he’s going to play through injuries.”
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Lindor confirmed that he did not receive a cortisone injection for his back issue.
“They just said it’s back acting up — the medical term, I can’t tell you that,” Lindor mentioned. “I listened to a certain point. As soon as they said no structural damage, I tuned out.”
