New York Mets star Francisco Lindor has been out of the lineup this week, after being removed from Sunday’s game with back discomfort. A battery of tests was performed on him and it was determined that he would be out for 3-5 days depending on his progress.
That progress has been slow, but steady. According to Mets insider Anthony DiComo, he will be out of the lineup again on Thursday as the team opens a series against the Philadelphia Phillies. Rookie infielder Luisangel Acuña is the Mets shortstop on Thursday and is batting ninth after hitting home runs in each of the last two games.
The Mets star is still a day or two away
Lindor is, however, working hard to return this weekend, potentially on Friday according to DiComo.
“No surprise here, but Francisco Lindor is out of the Mets’ lineup for a fourth consecutive game today. He performed some agility drills and played catch yesterday, and if he can do more today, maybe Friday will be in play for him,” he posted on his X account:
Back injuries can be tricky and depend on each player’s ability to recover and tolerate discomfort. The Mets are hoping Lindor can be as close to full health as possible, so they are taking it slowly.
In the meantime, Acuña has proven to be a worthy replacement for the MVP candidate, going 7-for-15 with a double, two home runs, and five runs scored in five games.
As for Lindor, he is slashing a robust .271/.342/.494 with 31 home runs and 27 stolen bases this year. His incredible defense, baserunning contributions, and leadership skills make him irreplaceable in the long term, even though Acuña is doing an admirable job this week.
If the Mets are going to make a deep postseason run this year, it will likely be with Lindor at shortstop and hitting leadoff.
