The Mets‘ struggles have been well documented as the blue and orange sit at 22-32 at the one-third mark of the campaign and just keep getting bit by the injury bug. Brooks Raley had to undergo season-ending elbow surgery, while Tylor Megill and Drew Smith both suffered respective arm injuries.
Kodai Senga has missed the entirety of the season with a shoulder strain and has yet to get back on the bump. Francisco Álvarez tore the ulnar collateral ligament in his thumb and required surgery to repair the tear, and the laundry list of injuries goes on and on. However, one Met who appeared to be injured during the doubleheader has avoided a significant injury.
Francisco Lindor has avoided a significant injury
During the 8th inning of the Mets’ 5-2 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers, Francisco Lindor tried to bunt his way on, but the 94 mph cutter from Micheal Grove caught the 30-year-old on the left hand, and the bunt went foul.
Lindor struck out on the next pitch before being checked on by a trainer and taking the field for the bottom half of the inning. According to Tim Healey of Newsday, Lindor injured his left index finger on the attempt. Although the finger looked ‘painful and swollen,’ his X-rays came back negative.
The Puerto Rico native went on to play the second game of the doubleheader despite the injury, which was likely out of necessity, as no other middle infielder was available on the roster.
Who would replace Lindor in the Mets’ lineup?
Luckily for the blue and orange, Lindor is not expected to miss much time, if any, but if they did need to replace him for a little bit, they have a clear-cut candidate. Jose Iglesias has been tearing the cover off the ball for Triple-A Syracuse, slashing .294/.333/.477 with seven home runs and 28 RBIs across 39 games.
Iglesias may join the major league roster in the coming days, regardless of Lindor’s status, to give the Mets some middle infield depth. For now, in a season that seems to be following Murphy’s Law, not losing the 30-year-old for a significant amount of time is a massive victory.