When New York Mets star Francisco Lindor had to leave Sunday’s game, panic took over almost immediately. It’s hard to imagine the team having much of a chance to make the postseason, let alone embarking on a deep run, without their MVP candidate and best player.
The talented infielder reported discomfort on his back, and he was sent for an MRI in the area on Monday. The results of the imaging are back, and there is good news to report.
Mets receive positive injury update on Fransisco Lindor
According to SNY, Lindor’s MRI came back clean, with the player saying he could miss “3-5 days, or 2-3, depends on how my back reacts”.
Considering the wide array of bad outcomes that this could have been, this has to be celebrated like a victory by the Mets. He could be dealing with a chronic back issue, or a bulging disk, but there is nothing severe to report and the player is, in essence, day-to-day.
The Mets need Lindor on the field as soon as possible, but they are also probably afraid to aggravate his back. He will probably be out of the lineup for a game or two, and after that, they will all see how things have evolved.
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The Mets need Lindor on the field as soon as possible
The Mets remain in a tie with the Atlanta Braves for the third and last spot of the Wild Card in the National League, and need every competitive advantage they can get. Having Lindor at shortstop, evidently, is one of them but they also need to be smart.
They will be opening a three-game series against the Washington Nationals at home on Monday. The Nats aren’t the strongest team and could possibly allow the Mets to rest Lindor for a couple of games while still remaining competitive. They do need to win, though, because the Braves have no intentions to leave the race.
Lindor has had a brilliant season with the Mets, slashing a cool .271/.342/.494 with 31 home runs, 103 runs, 86 RBI, 39 doubles, 27 stolen bases, and a .836 OPS. He has also played his customary excellent defense at shortstop while leading on the field and in the clubhouse.
The hope is that he can leave the back problem behind as quickly as possible and rejoin the lineup around the middle or the second half of the week, depending on his progression.
