Mets' Francisco Lindor may need surgery on hamate bone
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. – Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor should have been gearing up for spring training; instead, he’s gearing up for what could potentially be his second surgery in five months.
Lindor may need surgery on his left hamate bone, president of baseball operations David Stearns said Tuesday in a news conference at Clover Park, though this won’t necessarily preclude the All Star from being ready for Opening Day.
A hand specialist will evaluate Lindor Wednesday for a possible stress reaction – something that generally requires a six-week recovery period, with ramp up included. He previously underwent a right elbow debridement in October, and played through a broken toe for most of the second half of last season.
“At this point, even if it does require surgery, we remain optimistic that Francisco would be back for Opening Day,” Stearns said. “He’s had soreness off and on there for a couple of years and he’s usually able to grind through it and he does it. I don’t know when he first felt it, but I think it just persisted to the point where he felt like he should say something…
“This is generally a clean six-week recovery.”
Despite a host of nicks and bruises, Lindor has been one of the most durable players on the roster since coming to Flushing from Cleveland. He played all but two games last year, despite the toe injury he sustained in June, and has played 152 games or more over the last four seasons. His 644 at-bats last year were the most in the National League.
That said, if Lindor isn’t ready for Opening Day, “we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it,” Stearns said. It seems unlikely that Bo Bichette, a natural shortstop, would assume the role, as the Mets hope to acclimate him to his new position at third.
“If we get closer to Opening Day, we’ll be able to have those discussions and determine what our best course of action is,” Stearns said, noting that Vidal Brujan, Jackson Cluff, Ronny Mauricio and Christian Arroyo are all possibilities. “We’ve got a lot of guys at camp with shortstop experience.”
At the very least, the Mets do have a glut of proven MLB shortstops, even beyond Bichette. Second baseman Marcus Semien and DH Jorge Polanco, who’s attempting to convert to first base, have all seen significant playing time there. Like Bichette, though, manager Carlos Mendoza expressed a preference for keeping Polanco and Semien at their prescribed positions to help them better adapt to the Mets’ intended defensive positioning.
“Knowing Francisco, I’m optimistic, even if he has to go down the surgery route,” Mendoza said. “I found out a couple days ago and I didn’t think much of it. This is a guy who’s been through a lot. But for him to say something this early, it was kind of in the back of my head, like, ‘Hmm.’...But again, even if he has to go that route, I’m optimistic he’ll be able to play shortstop on Opening Day.”
Lindor previously had to pull out of representing team Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic, but Stearns said that wasn’t related to this recent injury.
The company that insures players for the WBC, National Financial Partners, denies coverage for athletes who have undergone recent surgeries, like Lindor’s elbow debridement. Former Met Carlos Baerga later reported that Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny offered to cover the cost of the insurance, but was denied. As such, Puerto Rico, which has had a number of players pull out due to insurance issues, including Carlos Correa, may not be able to field a team.
“We had nothing to do with” denying Bad Bunny, Stearns said. “I actually don’t know why he wasn’t given clearance.”
Last week, Lindor expressed his regret at missing the tournament. “I’m deeply sorry for the Puerto Rico fans,” he wrote in Spanish via his Instagram. “This hurts more than many would imagine. As an athlete, nothing makes you prouder than representing your country and not being able to do so leaves a void in my heart.”
Notes & quotes: The Mets hope to have A.J. Minter (torn lat recovery) ready by May, Stearns said.
David Stearns says that Francisco Lindor will be evaluated tomorrow for a stress reaction in his left hamate bone.
— SNY (@SNYtv) February 10, 2026
Stearns says that the Mets are "optimistic" about Lindor being ready for Opening Day even if surgery is required, which would be a six-week recovery time. pic.twitter.com/QVxkrwLQSh
Laura Albanese is the Mets beat writer for Newsday. She's been covering MLB since 2014 after starting at Newsday as an intern seven years earlier.
