Mets’ Francisco Lindor hopes to play Saturday after leaving Friday’s game with back soreness

Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor left Friday’s game at the Philadelphia Phillies with a sore lower back, New York announced.

Eddy Alvarez replaced Lindor at shortstop in the bottom of the seventh inning with the Mets leading the Phillies, 7-0.

“I jammed it on the base, going to second base on that last play that I made,” Lindor said. “I stepped on [the base] with my right foot and just jammed my lower back so it was definitely tight enough for me to tell Mendy like alright let me just back off from it a little bit.”

Asked whether he believes this will be a lingering issue, the shortstop said “I hope not.”

“I’m in a spot right now where I took care of it and I just believe in what the trainers did and wake up tomorrow and see,” he said. “I’ll give an update tomorrow whenever I wake up and I’ll talk to the trainers and we’ll go from there.”

In a game already out of reach and New York up big, it made sense for Lindor and the team not to try and push it with their star shortstop. However, if the game had been closer, Lindor said he would’ve “definitely tried to push it.”

As to whether he’ll be back in the lineup on Saturday, Lindor is hopeful but at the same time noncomittal.

“I hope so. I pride myself in trying to be available every day and I’ll do whatever it takes today and tomorrow to be available. If I’m not in a spot where I can play, that I feel comfortable enough to play, the team will know for sure,” Lindor said.

After the game, manager Carlos Mendoza was asked if there’s any real concern for his shortstop and the skipper said “not really.”

“Just talked to him, it’s just low back tightness there when he got to second base,” Mendoza said. “I think if it was a closer game, he was gonna fight that one.”

“So I kinda just put pressure on him and said ‘hey man, we got to take care of this here,’ so yeah I think he’s day-to-day. I’m pretty sure he’s gonna tell me to put him in the lineup tonight so we’ll see.”

Lindor, who posted a 2-for-4 evening with an RBI double in the top of the sixth inning, is slashing .270/.341/.493 through 147 games.

“It’s special, it’s special,” Lindor said pregame when asked about MVP praise from Mets manager Carlos Mendoza and his teammates. “It means I’m having a good year. And usually when you get put in that situation, it’s also because you’re at least in playoff contention, in my mind.

“So I appreciate what they’re saying. However, I’m focused on playing winning baseball day in and day out and that’s what it’s all about.”