Francisco Lindor

Francisco Lindor left Wednesday’s win over Minnesota with a left calf strain, landing him on the Mets’ 10-day injured list just as the team snapped a 12-game losing streak. Manager Carlos Mendoza said Lindor will wear a walking boot for the next week and be re-evaluated in three weeks, with a best-case return before the end of May if recovery proceeds smoothly. The timing compounds Novel York’s offensive struggles, which have left them 9.5 games behind the Braves in the NL East.

Lindor’s injury arrived in the fifth inning of a game the Mets won 3-2, their first since April 7, after Soto returned from his own calf issue. The shortstop had already been underperforming, hitting .226/.314/.355 over his first 105 plate appearances, a significant drop from his usual production. That slump began after he missed most of spring training recovering from hamate bone surgery, though he avoided opening the season on the injured list by playing a few Grapefruit League games before camp ended.

The Mets entered Wednesday 8-16, having scored just 40 runs in the 15 games Soto missed due to his calf strain — the worst output in MLB over that span. Even with Soto back, the team needed contributions beyond the star outfielder to break the streak: Mark Vientos delivered the go-ahead RBI single in the eighth inning after being tagged out at home earlier, and pitchers Clay Holmes and Luke Weaver combined to hold Minnesota to two runs over the final 11 outs.

For more on this story, see Mets place Francisco Lindor on injured list with left calf strain.

Mendoza acknowledged the win was welcome but stressed the work ahead, noting no team in MLB history has ever made the playoffs after losing 12 straight games. He reiterated his message to the clubhouse: expecting something good to happen, even during a rough stretch. The Mets blew 1-0 and 2-1 leads during the game, underscoring how fragile their progress remains.

With Lindor sidelined, Ronny Mauricio is expected to grab over at shortstop. The former top prospect has struggled at the major-league level, hitting .236/.294/.357 over 303 career plate appearances, but has a history of dominating Triple-A pitching and will get another opportunity to break out in Lindor’s absence.

Calf injuries can linger or become season-threatening in severe cases, though there is no indication Lindor’s strain is serious at this point. Still, the three-week re-evaluation window means the Mets cannot firm up a return date until after that assessment, leaving them to rely on internal options while navigating one of their worst offensive starts in decades.

How long is Francisco Lindor expected to be out?

Lindor will be in a walking boot for the next week and re-evaluated in three weeks, with a best-case return before the end of May if recovery progresses as hoped.

Who is likely to play shortstop while Lindor is injured?

Ronny Mauricio is expected to be the regular shortstop in Lindor’s absence, getting another chance to break out after a career major-league line of .236/.294/.357 over 303 plate appearances.

10 Things NY Mets’ Francisco Lindor Can’t Live Without | 10 Essentials

Francisco Lindor’s left calf tightened as he rounded third base Wednesday night, a painful twist of fate just hours after the Mets had finally snapped a 12-game losing streak with Juan Soto’s return from a similar injury.

By Thursday afternoon, the diagnosis was clear: an MRI confirmed Lindor’s strain was more severe than Soto’s, prompting manager Carlos Mendoza to place the All-Star shortstop on the 10-day injured list. The move, while expected given Lindor’s visible discomfort during Wednesday’s win over Minnesota, carries added weight due to the player’s extraordinary durability. Over nine full seasons from 2016 through 2025, Lindor missed fewer than 125 games only once and dipped below 152 appearances just twice — a streak of resilience that made this his first trip to the IL since 2021.

The timing deepens the irony. Soto, sidelined since April 3 with a strained right calf, had rejoined the lineup Wednesday and delivered the spark that ended New York’s longest losing streak since 2002. Lindor, who had been laboring around the bases after Francisco Alvarez’s double, grimaced at third but slid feet-first to score, insisting afterward, “You’ve got to score.” That moment — pushing through pain to extend a hard-won victory — now stands as the last full effort before his absence.

Bo Bichette shifts to shortstop as the Mets scramble for internal solutions

With Lindor out, the Mets turned to Bo Bichette, their third baseman and former shortstop, to fill the void immediately. Bichette, who transitioned to third base this spring after the Mets signed him as a free agent, took over at short for Thursday’s series finale against the Twins. The shift underscores the precariousness of New York’s infield depth: Bichette was never regarded as a strong defensive shortstop earlier in his career and finished last season hampered by a knee injury that limited his range.

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To provide more stability, the Mets recalled Ronny Mauricio from Triple-A Syracuse, where he had hit five home runs in his last five games, including three on Tuesday. Mendoza indicated Mauricio would receive the majority of playing time at shortstop while Bichette continues to adjust to third base. The call-up represents a calculated gamble — Mauricio, a longtime prospect, missed the entire 2024 season recovering from a knee injury and has yet to reestablish himself at the major league level.

Christian Scott was also recalled to bolster the bullpen, with right-hander Austin Warren optioned to make room — a routine move that nonetheless highlights how thin the Mets’ roster has become amid multiple lower-body injuries.

Lindor’s slow start and lingering hamate fracture add context to the setback

Before the injury, Lindor was already enduring a frustrating start to the season, batting .226/.314/.355 in 105 plate appearances. While his walk and strikeout rates remained solid, his .264 batting average on balls in play suggested some lingering physical limitation. Sources speculate this may be connected to a fractured hamate bone he suffered in February — an injury he recovered from in time to make Opening Day but one that could still be affecting his swing mechanics, and durability.

Francisco Lindor injury update from Mets manager Carlos Mendoza

Despite the setback, Lindor remains resolute. Asked if he believed he would return this season, he replied emphatically, “100%,” repeating it for emphasis. He acknowledged the frustration of watching from the sidelines but expressed confidence in the Mets’ training staff: “This kills me, not being on the field but I trust the trainers and I know they have good care here. I’ll be back. Hopefully sooner rather than later.”

This marks only the third time Lindor has been placed on the injured list in his major league career. He missed the first 19 games of 2019 with Cleveland due to a right calf strain and was sidelined for 36 games in 2021 with the Mets after a right oblique strain. Each previous absence was followed by a strong return, offering a precedent for optimism — though the calf’s role in explosive movement makes this particular injury uniquely disruptive for a player whose value lies in his all-around explosiveness.

How long is Francisco Lindor expected to be out?

While no exact timetable has been given, manager Carlos Mendoza said Lindor “is going to be down for quite a bit here,” suggesting the absence will extend beyond the minimum 10-day IL stint. The severity of the calf strain, deemed worse than Juan Soto’s, indicates a recovery period likely measured in weeks rather than days.

Who will play shortstop for the Mets while Lindor is injured?

Ronny Mauricio has been recalled from Triple-A Syracuse and is expected to receive the majority of playing time at shortstop, with Bo Bichette continuing to play third base as he adjusts to the position after shifting from shortstop earlier this season.