David Lennon: Mets losing Francisco Lindor may be their breaking point
The Mets' Francisco Lindor reacts against the Cubs at Wrigley Field on April 17 in Chicago, Illinois. Credit: Getty Images/Michael Reaves
The Mets wouldn’t get specific Thursday when asked about a timetable for Francisco Lindor’s return after the five-time All-Star was placed on the IL with a left calf strain.
Neither did Lindor, who declined to provide any details about the MRI results or the severity of the strain.
But it’s going to be an uncomfortably long period of time -- perhaps better measured in months, not weeks -- before Lindor is back in the Mets’ lineup, during a stretch where it’s not irrational to suggest their season is very much on the brink.
And here’s how we know that. Back on April 3, Juan Soto also suffered a calf strain -- running the bases in San Francisco -- and the next day described how surprised he was that the MRI revealed a strain because the leg felt remarkably good that morning.
Two days later, when the Mets officially put Soto on the IL, they immediately provided a 2-3 week prognosis for his return. Soto was back in the lineup 19 days after suffering his calf strain -- the very same night Lindor pulled up lame scoring from first base on Francisco Alvarez’s bullet double to centerfield.
The wording of Lindor’s injury may be similar, but based on Thursday’s conversations, his condition sounds far more severe than what Soto dealt with.
“He’s going to be down quite a it,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “We knew right away with Juan that it was kind of like the best-case scenario and it was going to be on the short side of things. I don’t think we’re dealing with the same thing here.”
Plus, for a speedy shortstop even more reliant on his legs, the handling of a calf strain is especially tricky, given the potential complications involving the Achilles tendon.
“I’m the type of person that doesn’t really want to know timetables or grades and all that stuff,” Lindor said, “because it just plays with my head.”
That was a much different Lindor than the one a few months ago who pledged to be back by Opening Day after requiring hamate bone surgery in mid-February. He didn’t have any issues with timetables back then -- and ultimately made good on his promise.
Why be vague now? A couple of reasons. For one, muscle strains are tougher to predict than mending bones. As Lindor explained, it’s not a linear process -- “there’s going to be ups and downs,” he said. Also, with the Mets at a tipping point, having just snapped a demoralizing 12-game losing streak, there’s no sense in pinning hope to future dates when the lineup potentially could be whole again.
Lindor deflected our multiple attempts to get a few ballpark estimates from him, other than to say he’ll “100%” be back this season. As for the first half, Lindor replied, “I hope so -- we’ll see.”
Losing Soto was devastating. The Mets went 3-12 in his absence while putting up the worst offensive numbers in the league and their epic nosedive didn’t end until Soto returned in Wednesday night’s 4-3 victory over the Twins.
Lindor’s absence, however, could have a more destabilizing effect, if you could imagine that. Not the shock-and-awe punch of losing 12 straight games. But removing a plus-defensive shortstop, and lineup spark-plug that was just starting to heat up again, could result in a greater negative impact over a longer-term stretch.
Instead, the Mets will turn to perpetual prospect Ronny Mauricio, 25, as the (mostly) everyday shortstop for this extended period -- an opportunity he’s never had due to Lindor averaging close to 160 games the past four seasons. Mauricio only has 89 major-league games on his resume, but only seven at shortstop -- despite that being his natural position.
Mauricio represents a leap of faith for the Mets defensively, and while the switch-hitter can do damage from the left side, he hasn’t shown much success in limited experience against lefty pitching at this level. As of now, the Mets prefer to keep Bo Bichette at third base, but plan to move him over to short when Mauricio needs a breather or the matchups dictate a switch. Given Lindor’s durability, it’s never something they’ve had to worry much about before.
Losing Lindor puts the Mets deeper into crisis mode. Last week, Mendoza dropped him from the leadoff spot as the manager scrambled to find a winning lineup configuration with Soto out, but the notorious slow starter was finding his groove again. On consecutive days this week, Lindor had been the Mets’ trigger -- Tuesday’s three-run homer gave them a 3-0 lead, and Wednesday’s RBI single put them up, 1-0, in the first inning. Since April 9, Lindor was batting .304 (14-for-46), so the early flicker was turning into a legit flame.
“Whenever I have to miss games, it’s disappointing,” Lindor said. “But at the end of the day, I’m super-encouraged with what I saw [Wednesday]. I feel like the group is in the right direction -- they’re hungry and they’re ready to start winning games.
“It sucks to be on the side, but I’ll be there with them, cheering them on, and probably just as nervous as every fan out there. Because when you’re watching the games and not playing, I get more nervous than when I’m playing.”
Lindor’s response was interesting the day after Soto caused a mini-stir for saying he didn’t talk to any of his teammates during his time on the IL. No one asked Soto if he watched the games, but he didn’t mention any cheering either. Even without the captain’s C, Lindor still tries to project a leadership vibe, and the Mets are going to miss the whole $341 million package.
Can they survive it is the question.
David Lennon is an award-winning columnist, a voter for baseball's Hall of Fame and has covered six no-hitters, including two perfect games.
