The Mets announced that shortstop Francisco Lindor was placed on the 10-day injured list with left calf strain. Striker Ronny Mauricio remembered in the parallel movement. Franchys Romero of BeisbolFR reported on Mauricio’s call-up before the official announcement.
It’s a symbolic gut punch for the Mets. With Juan Soto in IL a few weeks ago, they endured a 12-game losing streak. Last night, they brought Soto back and finally clinched that victory with a win, but lost to Lindor in the process.
Lindor appeared uncomfortable during the game and was ejected after four innings. The team later announced that his departure was due to a calf strain. Manager Carlos Mendoza later told reporters, including Mike Puma of The New York Post, that Lindor would undergo an MRI. At the same time, Romero reported on Mauricio’s recall, making it appear that Lindor was going to join the IL.
It’s an unsurprising move given last night’s events but unusual in the grand scheme of things, as Lindor has never been injured in his career. In nine full seasons from 2016 to 2025, he played at least 125 games in each. Only once did he go under 143 and only twice did he go under 152. This is his first trip to IL since 2021.
Because of Lindor’s steely nature, the Mets have been operating without a suitable backup for most of this season. The third principle Bo Bichettewho had been a shortstop before this year, became Lindor’s emergency backstop and filled in after Lindor was pulled last night. Brett Baty he came off the bench and closed the third.
Lindor is off to a slow start this year, with a .226/.314/.355 line, but in a small sample of 105 plate appearances. In that sample, his walk and strikeout rate are good but he is held back by a .264 batting average on balls in play. His extensive career record shows that he is a hitter, outfielder and baserunner who is usually five to eight wins above replacement every year. His slow start may be due to a broken hamate he suffered in February, from which he recovered in time to make the Opening Day roster.
It’s not clear if the Mets plan to have Bichette cover at shortstop now. He wasn’t the best linebacker in that area early in his career and finished last season battling a knee injury. As a free agent in the recent offseason, it didn’t seem like many clubs were interested in signing him to play in that area. In the end, the Mets won the bidding and got him at third base. His defense at third base seems about right so far in the small sample, but he’s off to a rough start at the plate, currently sporting a .220/.255/.290 line on the year.
It is possible that the club can keep him in the third position for most of the time, because he is still getting used to the position, even if that means playing Mauricio very briefly every day. Mauricio has a powerful .293/.349/.638 slash in Triple-A this year but has yet to hit the playoffs, currently sporting a career .234/.294/.359 line.
Playing Bichette in short will open many opportunities for the club, like Baty or Mark Vientos it can cover the third base. Neither of these two bats well this year but each has shown better quality in the past. It’s also possible that the Mets don’t commit to one line or the other, as they can switch mid-game depending on the situation, selecting Bichette at short when they hope for more offense and moving him to third when they prioritize defense.
However the playing time is reduced, it is not fair for the Mets to lose a player of Lindor’s caliber. That’s especially true given their rough start. Despite losing last night, they are 8-16 this year and tied with the Phillies for the last time in the National League. They just put up with Soto’s absence and now they will try to get out of that hole without Lindor.
Photo courtesy of Kamil Krzaczynski, Imagn Images
