Inside The Mets

Mets Eyeing This Return Date For Francisco Lindor

New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza provided an update on when his team is targeting Francisco Lindor's return to the field.

Grant Young

Sep 17, 2024; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor (12) watches from the dugout during the sixth inning against the Washington Nationals at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Sep 17, 2024; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor (12) watches from the dugout during the sixth inning against the Washington Nationals at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images
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New York Mets superstar shortstop Francisco Lindor has been absent from his team's lineup since last weekend's series against the Philadelphia Phillies due to a lower back injury.

Lindor, who is considered an NL MVP candidate, received a facet injection in his back on Thursday because Mets doctors and trainers didn't feel like the injury was healing as fast as it should have.

Given that New York is currently playing in a stretch of games that will determine whether they'll play in the postseason, having their best player healthy and back on the field as soon as possible is of the utmost importance.

And before Saturday's game against the Phillies, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza provided an update on when Lindor can be expected to return.

"Better," Mendoza said when asked how Lindor feels today, per SNY. "Just talked to him. He is going to go out and do more baseball activities. Hopefully it's a little bit more than what he did yesterday. He's going to try and play catch again, run some sprints, take [batting practice], and then maybe some ground balls and then see what we got after that. So, better. Day by day."

When asked whether there was a thought of targeting Tuesday for Lindor's return given that New York has an off day on Monday, Mendoza said, "Probably. That's the most likely scenario here."

If the Mets were to get Lindor back before Tuesday's game against the Braves, that would mean he'd be available for the final six games of the regular season, and hopefully the playoffs.

While Luisangel Acuña has performed well since Lindor has been sidelined, the Mets could still use their franchise player back on the field soon.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers the New York Yankees, the New York Mets, and Women’s Basketball for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco, where he also played Division 1 baseball for five years. He believes Mark Teixeira should have been a first ballot MLB Hall of Fame inductee.

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