New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor has slowly been making progress towards making a full recovery from a hamate bone injury that he underwent surgery to repair. The five-time All-Star is expected to miss at least six weeks of action, sidelining him from spring training.
However, manager Carlos Mendoza gave an update on Lindor’s current status, saying he is in “a good place.”
“He’s in a good spot in attacking the rehab process, which he’s already doing,” Mendoza told the press during a press conference Sunday. “You could see him, full uniform, almost everywhere in the building.”
This could be a good sign for the Mets, who are hoping to have Lindor back in time for their season opener against the Pittsburgh Pirates. He has played in every Opening Day since the Mets traded for him in 2021. But he could sit out because of the injury.
In the worst-case scenario, he will miss the start of the season and be replaced by one of the Mets’ many infielders. An option is to move Bo Bichette back to shortstop, so Brett Baty can play third. Another possibility would be to have Ronny Mauricio fill in at short, with Bichette staying at third, because the team envisions him playing shortstop this year.
A Quick Recovery
The recovery for a hamate bone injury, which is common among hitters, takes around four to six weeks to heal fully. This is because the bone does not need to fully recover by the time you’re ready to participate in activities. In Lindor’s case, he underwent surgery on Febuary 11. This gives him six weeks to recover until opening week.
Across four seasons at Citi Field, Lindor hasn’t missed many games despite playing through nagging injuries. These include a fractured pinky toe, lower back pain and inflammation in his elbow. He underwent a minor procedure to take care of his elbow injury, which sidelined him from competing in the World Baseball Classic.
Battling through these injuries didn’t stop Lindor from having one of his productive seasons last year. In 160 appearances, he tallied 172 hits, 35 doubles, 86 RBI and 31 home runs on a .267 batting average. These numbers helped him make his first All-Star appearance as a Met.
Looking Ahead
With the injury taking him out of action, Lindor offered some comments on the team’s current status. The roster looks much different following this offseason, when four franchise players departed, bringing in multiple new faces.
“What left — great people, great guys. I feel like this team is better than last year,” he said during an interview Sunday. “If you go position by position, it’s definitely better. We have what it takes.”
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