Livescore
Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor remained out of the lineup for Friday night’s game, but there continues to be optimism surrounding his return to the lineup.
“Feeling better today to a point where he’s gonna go outside, he’s gonna move around,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “Do some running, he’s gonna play catch and if he’s feeling good he’s gonna progress to baseball activities today. So that’s a good sign.”
The timing of Lindor’s return remains fluid. The Mets could decide to be cautious and give him extra time in the hopes that he does not re-aggravate the injury, but the wild-card race coming down to the wire is a factor.
“I think if we were in May maybe we’d give him an extra day, a couple of days of him running the bases,” Mendoza said. “But, the thing with him is that he knows himself better than anybody. And when he can’t go, he’s gonna let us know. And if he feels like he’s good enough to help the team and not put himself in a position where he’s in danger of risking injuring something else, he’s not gonna go and play.
“We trust him. And if he says, ‘I’m good to go whenever.’ He’ll be in the lineup playing shortstop and leading off.”
Mendoza added that it is “100 percent” possible Lindor could progress from baseball activities to being in the lineup the very next day.
Would the Mets continue to win give the manager pause and allow them to take a more cautious approach?
“He’s Francisco Lindor,” Mendoza said. “We’re talking about a potential MVP. When he says he’s ready to go, it doesn’t matter where we’re at, he’s in the lineup.”
In Lindor’s absence, Mendoza has put veteran Jose Iglesias into the leadoff spot and had him play shortstop with Luisangel Acuna also getting time at short.
When asked what Lindor’s return would mean for Acuna’s status, the skipper said the youngster will “continue to be a huge part of this team.”
“Iglesias is gonna need a day or two [off], as a pinch runner, Lindor, who knows if Lindor, when he gets back, is going to be a player for us for the rest of the way,” Mendoza said. “Again, what [Acuna’s] shown here is pretty special, it’s exciting and he put himself in a really good position where we got a really good player here.”
Mendoza praised Iglesias for his play and his leadership on the diamond when paired with Acuna and Mark Vientos at third base during Lindor’s absence.
“He’s been on top of those guys and his communication and leadership skills on the field are unbelievable,” the manager said. “Just excited to continue to watch him play day in and day out.”
Friday night’s game, the second of the four-game set against the Phillies, is the fifth straight game the shortstop has missed due to the back injury that flared up last weekend in Philadelphia. The Mets have won their previous four games, scoring 10 runs in the last three games.
Read the full article here
