Latest On Francisco Lindor’s Recovery Timeline
Francisco Lindor was placed on the Mets’ 10-day injured list on Thursday due to a left calf strain, and the team now has a loose idea about how long the All-Star shortstop may be out of action. Manager Carlos Mendoza and president of baseball operations David Stearns told reporters (including the New York Post’s Jake Nisse) yesterday that Lindor will be in a walking boot for the next week, and will be fully re-evaluated in three weeks’ time.
If all goes well, Lindor projects to be back in the Mets’ lineup before the end of May. Supposing that Lindor is given the green light in mid-May after his three-week shutdown, he’ll need at least a week of baseball activities and workouts to bring him back up to speed, plus at least a couple of rehab games.
This is just the best-case scenario, however. A more concrete timeline can’t be established until after Lindor is re-evaluated, and it is certainly possible that his calf might still be sore after three weeks’ time. Calf injuries have been known to linger or even to be season-threatening in more severe cases, though there isn’t any sign that Lindor’s issue is anything that serious.
It has already been an injury-marred season for Lindor, as he missed most of Spring Training due to hamate bone surgery. Lindor was able to make it back and play a few Grapefruit League games before the end of camp and avoided a season-opening stint on the injured list, yet it seems like the missed time had an impact. Lindor has a modest .226/.314/.355 slash line over his first 105 plate appearances, far below his usual standard.
Even if Lindor is able to return by late May, losing their star shortstop for “only” a month is still a major blow for the struggling Mets to try and overcome. New York has a dismal 9-17 record and is already 9.5 games behind the Braves for first place in the NL East. Virtually the entire Mets lineup is off to a collective slow start at the plate, and the loss of Juan Soto (to a calf strain of his own) for just shy of three weeks only worsened the offensive power outage.
Ronny Mauricio probably isn’t the answer to these batting woes, as Mauricio has hit only .236/.294/.357 over 303 career plate appearances in the majors. However, Mauricio is a former top prospect who has a history of crushing Triple-A pitching, so he’ll get another chance to break out as the expected regular shortstop in Lindor’s absence.
Mets Notes: Rotation, Shortstop
The Mets’ rotation — and roster at large — has underwhelmed thus far in 2026. Mets starting pitchers rank 19th in the majors with a 4.24 ERA and are tied for the game’s sixth-highest walk rate at 10%. In particular, struggles from Kodai Senga and David Peterson have set them back. New York turned to Christian Scott for his first big league start since 2024’s Tommy John surgery yesterday against the Twins, but he walked five of the 10 hitters he faced and plunked a sixth before being lifted from the game in the second inning.
Will Sammon and Tim Britton of The Athletic report that at least for now, the plan is for Scott to make another start next week. The Mets have Peterson, Sean Manaea and Tobias Myers all pitching out of the bullpen right now and will work to keep them all stretched out, given the uncertainty in the rotation. If they end up needing a fresh arm — Peterson and Myers both threw 40-plus pitches in long relief yesterday — it’s possible Scott could instead be optioned to Triple-A Syracuse. Any of those more veteran options in the ‘pen could then step in for a start in Scott’s place.
Scott and young ace Nolan McLean are the only two members of the Mets’ rotation who can be optioned. The latter, of course, isn’t going anywhere. In the bullpen, only Myers and Huascar Brazobán can be optioned. The lack of flexibility, coupled with the Mets’ injured and underperforming lineup, prompts Britton and Sammon to wonder whether president of baseball operations David Stearns might eventually explore the trade of a pitcher to help bolster the offense.
Trades of any real significance are rare this early in the season, but there are a handful of notable April or May deals in recent history. The Brewers picked up Quinn Priester from the Red Sox last April, for instance. A year prior, the Marlins shipped Luis Arraez to the Padres in early May. As The Athletic duo points out, when Stearns was running things in Milwaukee, he acquired Willy Adames from the Rays in a May trade.
The Mets aren’t going to get a hitter of any note for Manaea or Senga with their contracts underwater. They could perhaps try to swap either for a hitter with a similarly undesirable contract, but that sort of player isn’t going to help turn the lineup around. The best version of the Mets would have McLean and Freddy Peralta atop the rotation, and the Mets parted with multiple top prospects to get Peralta this winter, so he’s not an early candidate to move. Clay Holmes‘ opt-out opportunity at season’s end tamps down his value.
Speculatively speaking, Peterson feels like the most logical candidate to move in that type of scenario. He’s a free agent at season’s end, earning $8MM, and currently working in the ‘pen. The 30-year-old lefty had a tough run of three starts before being moved into a long relief role, but he started 30 games last year and finished the season with a 4.22 ERA, 20.7% strikeout rate and 9% walk rate in 168 2/3 innings. He’s allowed one run over his past two appearances — a total of seven innings. He’s not going to net a controllable, established hitter, but the Mets could try to swap him out for a veteran bat with similar service time.
There’s no indication at this point that the Mets are actively seeking to ship out a pitcher and/or bring in another bat via trade, to be clear, but it’s worth keeping in mind as the season progresses. That’s especially true with star shortstop Francisco Lindor hitting the injured list due to a calf strain this week.
In place of Lindor, it’ll be just-recalled Ronny Mauricio getting most of the reps at shortstop, writes Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. The Mets could slide Bo Bichette over to shortstop on occasion, but DiComo notes that the club has been pleased with Bichette’s move to third base so far. Bichette has been charged with a pair of throwing errors through his first 210 frames at the hot corner but has generally corralled anything hit in his direction. Metrics like Defensive Runs Saved (0) and Outs Above Average (1) feel he’s been perfectly adequate during his foray into a new position.
Shortstop is a familiar spot on the diamond for Mauricio. The 25-year-old, who ranked as a top-100 prospect for years before injuries (namely a torn ACL) set him back, has logged nearly 3900 professional innings at the position. He’s healthy now and was playing all over the diamond in Syracuse prior to his recall, though he did spend more time (seven games) at shortstop than at any other position. Even if Lindor hadn’t suffered an injury, pressure to recall Mauricio was mounting. He’s bludgeoned Triple-A pitching so far in 2026, raking at a .293/.349/.638 pace (150 wRC+) with six homers and five stolen bases through 63 turns at the plate.
It’s not clear just how long Mauricio’s runway will be. The Mets haven’t given a timetable for Lindor’s return, with manager Carlos Mendoza telling reporters only that Lindor will “be down quite a bit here.” He’s looking at more than a minimum stint, but the Mets haven’t specified whether Lindor is looking at an absence of three to four weeks or something more appropriately measured in months. Regardless, the injury gives Mauricio a rare everyday opportunity with the Mets — something that’s generally eluded him in recent years as he’s sought to establish himself in the majors.
Mets Place Francisco Lindor On Injured List
3:05pm: Mendoza said reporters, including Joel Sherman of The New York Post, Lindor’s strain is worse than Soto’s and he will therefore miss a decent amount of time. Mendoza added that Mauricio will get the majority of shortstop time while Lindor is out.
2:13pm: The Mets announced that shortstop Francisco Lindor has been placed on the 10-day injured list with a left calf strain. Infielder Ronny Mauricio has been recalled in a corresponding move. Francys Romero of BeisbolFR reported on Mauricio’s call-up prior to the official announcement. They also announced their previously-reported recall of Christian Scott, with righty Austin Warren optioned as the corresponding move.
It’s a symbolic gut punch for the Mets. With Juan Soto on the IL for the past few weeks, they endured a 12-game losing streak. Last night, they got Soto back and finally snapped that streak with a win, but they lost Lindor in the process.
Lindor appeared to be in discomfort during the game and was removed after four innings. The team later announced that his departure was due to left calf tightness. Manager Carlos Mendoza later told reporters, including Mike Puma of The New York Post, that Lindor would undergo an MRI. Around the same time, Romero reported on Mauricio’s recall, making it seem likely that Lindor was bound for the IL.
It’s an unsurprising move given the events of last night but it’s unusual in the grander scheme of things, as Lindor has been very rarely hurt in his career. In the nine full seasons from 2016 to 2025, he played in at least 125 games in each. Only once was he below 143 and only twice did he come in under 152. This is his first trip to the IL since 2021.
Due to Lindor’s iron man nature, the Mets have been operating without a proper backup for most of this season. Third baseman Bo Bichette, who was primarily a shortstop prior to this year, has been Lindor’s emergency backstop and covered the spot after Lindor was removed last night. Brett Baty came off the bench to cover third.
Lindor is out to a slow start this year, with a .226/.314/.355 line, but in a small sample of 105 plate appearances. In that sample, his walk and strikeout rates are good but he is being held back by a .264 batting average on balls in play. His much larger career track record shows he’s an above-average hitter, defender and baserunner who is usually good for five to eight wins above replacement annually. It’s possible his somewhat slow start is due to a fractured hamate he suffered in February, which he recovered from in time to crack the Opening Day roster.
It’s unclear if the Mets plan to have Bichette cover short now. He wasn’t a great defender at that spot earlier in his career and he finished last season battling a knee injury. As a free agent in the most recent offseason, it didn’t seem as though many clubs had interest in signing him to play that spot. In the end, the Mets won the bidding and have had him at third. His third base defense appears to be about average so far in a small sample, but he’s off to a rough start at the plate, currently sporting a .220/.255/.290 line for the year.
It’s possible the club could keep him at third most of the time, since he’s still getting acclimated to the position, though that would mean playing Mauricio at short pretty much every day. Mauricio has a strong .293/.349/.638 slash in Triple-A this year but hasn’t hit in the majors yet, currently sitting on a career .234/.294/.359 line.
Playing Bichette at short would open up more line possibilities for the club, as Baty or Mark Vientos could cover third base. Neither of those two are hitting well this year but each has shown better form in the past. It’s also possible the Mets don’t firmly commit to one lane or another, as they could make in-game substitutions depending on the situation, opting for Bichette at short when hoping for more offense and moving him to third when prioritizing defense.
However the playing time gets sliced up, it’s not ideal for the Mets to lose a player of Lindor’s caliber. That’s especially true in light of their rough start. Though they snapped the losing streak last night, they are 8-16 on the year and tied with the Phillies for last in the National League. They just endured Soto’s absence and now will try to climb out of that hole without Lindor.
Photo courtesy of Kamil Krzaczynski, Imagn Images
Francisco Lindor Increasingly Likely To Be Ready For Opening Day
Francisco Lindor was the starting shortstop and went 1-for-3 over four innings in the Mets’ rain-shortened 8-1 win over the Blue Jays today, as Lindor saw his first action of the spring against Major League competition. Just prior to the start of camp, Lindor suffered a left hamate bone injury that required surgery, creating some question as to whether or not the five-time All-Star would be available for New York’s Opening Day lineup.
While the Mets will continue to monitor Lindor in the lead-up to their March 26 game against the Pirates, all signs point to Lindor being fully ready to participate. MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo writes that Lindor was slated to get two at-bats over four innings of work today as the Mets eased him back into action, but Lindor ended up getting a third trip to the plate (resulting in a single) since New York beat up on Toronto starter Grant Rogers.
The club’s plan is to continue to bring Lindor along somewhat slowly by playing him every other day, but the shortstop told DiComo and other reporters that today’s game was a step in the right direction.
“It was a really good experience,” Lindor said. “I felt like I was pretty much like myself, and I finished the game healthy. Overall, it was a good day for me.”
Hamate-related injuries usually have a recovery timeline of 4-to-8 weeks, and Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns put a six-week timetable on Lindor when he had his surgery on February 11. Lindor didn’t hit any setbacks and was able to start playing in minor league Spring Training games within a month of his surgery, and by being able to return to the Mets’ roster today, he’ll be able to bank a good amount of games in order to fully ramp up for March 26.
Mets Notes: Tong, Lindor
The Mets optioned right-hander Jonah Tong to Triple-A Syracuse this afternoon. The touted prospect was always a long shot to break camp, as he entered the spring no higher than seventh on the rotation depth chart.
Tong, one of the organization’s top pitching prospects, debuted last August. He got the call roughly two weeks after the Mets brought up Nolan McLean. While the latter dazzled over his first eight starts, Tong had a rockier debut showing. He surrendered 20 runs over his first 18 2/3 innings. Tong had two solid starts but was hit hard in his other three outings.
McLean slots behind Freddy Peralta as the highest-upside arms in Carlos Mendoza’s rotation. Kodai Senga and David Peterson are back despite coming up in some offseason trade speculation. Sean Manaea and Clay Holmes also have spots in what’ll probably be a six-man rotation.
Tong will continue to build up in Triple-A as injury insurance. He made one start in MLB camp, allowing three runs across 2 2/3 innings. Tong has only made two career starts at the Triple-A level. He dominated Double-A opposition to a 1.59 ERA with a 41% strikeout percentage over 20 starts earlier in the season.
In another bit of Mets news, Francisco Lindor played four innings during a minor league Spring Training game on Tuesday. Anthony DiComo of MLB.com relayed the news, noting that the minor league camp allowed Lindor to work solely as a defensive player without needing to bat. Lindor, who is exactly one month removed from sustaining a hamate fracture in his left wrist, has been hitting in the batting cage but isn’t ready to bat in games. He has maintained optimism he’ll be available for Opening Day, which is a little over two weeks away.
Mets Notes: Baty, Lindor, Scott, Minter, Stock
The Mets’ offseason signing of Bo Bichette displaced third baseman Brett Baty, and he’ll now take on a super utility role in Queens, MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo reports. Baty is seeing work in the outfield and at first base this spring. His experience at the hot corner and at second base makes him a viable option at both those positions, too, should Bichette or Marcus Semien need a breather or a trip to the injured list at any point.
“It’s a valuable role,” manager Carlos Mendoza tells DiComo. “We’ve been pretty honest with him. He is on board. There are going to be at-bats for him in a lot of different positions. He could play third, second and first, and now the outfield is in play.”
While Baty might not have a set position, his 2025 breakout should put him in good position to be in the lineup more often than not. The former first-round pick and top prospect shook off a terrible start to last season and finished out the year with a solid .254/.313/.435 batting line (111 wRC+) and 18 home runs. From mid-May through season’s end — a span of 370 plate appearances — Baty delivered a .266/.327/.454 batting line with 17 of his 18 long balls.
Elsewhere in Mets camp, the team is still holding out hope that star shortstop Francisco Lindor, who suffered a left hamate fracture early in camp, won’t miss much time — if he misses any at all. Lindor took batting practice yesterday for the first time since his injury, and he felt well enough after the fact to tell Jon Heyman of the New York Post he’s confident in his chances of being on the Opening Day roster.
“One hundred percent, I think I can make it for Opening Day,” said Lindor. “…We’re checking the boxes along the way.”
Lindor’s injury first came to light on Feb. 10. A day later, the Mets confirmed that he’d undergo surgery to address the issue. The team originally projected a six-week recovery, and Lindor’s surgery came 43 days prior to Opening Day. In addition to batting practice, Lindor also began playing catch this week and has yet to show any ill effects.
The recovery period on hamate fractures tends to range from four weeks on the short end to eight weeks on the longer end. Based on how things are progressing, it seems there’s reason for cautious optimism among Mets fans that the five-time All-Star and 2024 National League MVP runner-up will be in the lineup when new ace Freddy Peralta and the Mets host the Pirates and presumptive Opening Day starter Paul Skenes on March 26.
The Mets’ pitching staff is also navigating some injuries. Former top prospect Christian Scott, now 17 months removed from the 2024 Tommy John surgery that wiped out his 2025 season, hit 96 mph and tossed 48 pitches through 2 2/3 frames in an exhibition against Israel’s WBC team this week. Mendoza told the Post’s Dan Martin that the outing was “impressive, specifically touting the righty’s command in a walk-free return to the mound.
Scott, now 26 years old, made his big league debut in 2024 and posted a 4.56 ERA with 19.8% strikeout rate and 6.1% walk rate in his first taste of major league action. He’d previously tossed 42 1/3 innings with a 2.76 ERA, 33.5% strikeout rate and 7.3% walk rate at the Triple-A level. There’s no opening in the Mets’ rotation for him with Peralta, Nolan McLean, David Peterson, Clay Holmes, Kodai Senga and Sean Manaea all in the fold, but Scott will be a pivotal depth arm and one of the first names called if the Mets run into health troubles on their big league staff.
Left-handed reliever A.J. Minter, whose 2025 season ended in May due to lat surgery, pitched in a minor league game on a back field this week, Martin adds. It’s Minter’s first time back in a game setting since last year’s surgery. Previous indications have been that Minter could return at some point in May, but Mendoza indicated to Martin that late April is on the table for a possible return.
Minter signed a two-year, $22MM deal with the Mets last winter and got out to a terrific start for them. In 11 innings, he held opponents to two runs (1.64 ERA) on six hits and five walks with 14 punchouts. The 32-year-old southpaw has had his injury troubles over the years, but from 2020-25 he’s notched a sharp 2.80 earned run average with a 30% strikeout rate and 8% walk rate in 254 innings between the Braves and Mets.
In one other note related to the Mets, Tim Britton of The Athletic provides an update on non-roster invitee Robert Stock. The righty was recently with Team Israel for the World Baseball Classic but suffered some shoulder discomfort. He is out of the WBC and will be going for an MRI.
Francisco Lindor To Undergo Surgery For Hamate Fracture
Feb. 11: Lindor will indeed undergo surgery to address the injury, manager Carlos Mendoza announced to reporters this morning (via Anthony DiComo of MLB.com). The Mets haven’t officially ruled him out for Opening Day, but there’s obviously a decent chance he won’t be ready to begin the season.
Feb. 10: Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor is being evaluated for a hamate bone injury, per president of baseball operations David Stearns. The five-time All-Star would face a six-week absence if the injury requires surgery. Steans told reporters, including Jorge Castillo of ESPN, that he’s confident Lindor would be back for the beginning of the season even if he has surgery.
Lindor underwent a debridement procedure on his right elbow early in the offseason. Insurance coverage issues related to the injury kept the Team Puerto Rico captain out of the 2026 World Baseball Classic. The announcement from Stearns is the first mention of the hamate injury. Lindor is set to be examined to determine the next steps. The Mets open the season against the Pirates on March 26.
The 32-year-old Lindor missed a month with an oblique strain in the middle of his first season with the Mets in 2021. Since then, he’s been the picture of health. Lindor has played in at least 152 games in four straight seasons. He’s piled up 680+ plate appearances each year in that stretch, including a league-leading 732 this past year. Lindor hasn’t been on the IL since the 2021 oblique issue.
The six-week timeframe would leave little breathing room for Lindor to recover in time for Opening Day, if he were to undergo surgery. The shortstop has been dealing with the stress reaction in his hamate bone over the past few days, Stearns said (relayed by Anthony Dicomo of MLB.com). Hamate bone issues have a history of sapping power from hitters. Lindor has been a 30-homer hitter for three straight years.
The Mets have a handful of in-house options available to replace Lindor if he misses any time. Free agent acquisition Bo Bichette was ticketed for third base, but could move back to his natural position of shortstop. Bichette’s declining skills at the position narrowed his list of suitors and led to him landing with a team that didn’t need him up the middle, but he could survive at short until Lindor ramped back up.
Ronny Mauricio spent the majority of his minor league career at shortstop. He’s been mostly a third baseman in the big leagues, though that’s mostly due to Lindor’s stranglehold on shortstop. Vidal Bruján is the only other player with recent shortstop experience on the 40-man roster.
Losing Lindor’s bat for any amount of time would be significant for an offense that will look quite different in 2026. Mainstays Brandon Nimmo and Pete Alonso have departed, along with midseason acquisition Cedric Mullins. Marcus Semien, Jorge Polanco, and Luis Robert Jr. are now in the mix, along with Bichette.
Photo courtesy of Sam Navarro, Imagn Images
Team Puerto Rico Considering Withdrawal From World Baseball Classic Amid Insurance Issues
The 2026 World Baseball Classic is just around the corner, three years after the last tournament ended in epic fashion with Shohei Ohtani striking out then-Angels teammate Mike Trout to give Team Japan the win over Team USA. Fans and players alike are excited for the event around the game, but a wrench has been thrown into the works as a number of players have been denied insurance coverage to participate in the tournament. As noted by Evan Drellich and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the insurance concerns are significant enough that Team Puerto Rico has suggested they might need to withdraw from the tournament entirely due to eight to ten players on their expected roster being denied coverage.
Puerto Rico’s losses are headlined by team captain and Mets superstar Francisco Lindor, whose coverage was denied on the basis of a minor elbow procedure he underwent back in October. That denied coverage comes in spite of the fact that Lindor is expected to be ready for Spring Training and played in 160 of the Mets’ games last year. After injuries to Edwin Diaz and Jose Altuve during the 2023 tournament, Drellich and Rosenthal report not only that insurance has become more expensive but also that the league’s insurer has adopted more of a hard line stance on what players they will and won’t approve.
Recent surgery and trips to the 60-day injured list are typically disqualifying for receiving insurance coverage, according to Drellich and Rosenthal, though they add that the league’s insurer reviews each individual player on a case-by-case basis. Alden Gonzalez of ESPN offers a bit more detail on the standards of National Financial Partners, the MLB-partnered insurance broker who handles the policy. Players classified as having “chronic” injuries have a harder time getting insured. Players who were injured for 60 days or longer in the prior season, who missed two of their team’s last three games due to injury in the prior season, who underwent offseason surgery, have undergone multiple surgeries throughout their career, or were placed on the injured list on the final day of August or later in the prior season can all be flagged as having “chronic” injuries.
Another disqualifying factor is age, as Rosenthal and Drellich indicate that NFP will not cover players once they turn 37. That’s left Miguel Rojas to be denied coverage ahead of his 37th birthday on February 24, blocking him from participating with Team Venezuela. Rojas won’t be the only one denied coverage due to age, however, as Drellich and Rosenthal note that NFP is also unlikely to cover players who will turn 37 during the window of coverage associated a team would receive if the player gets hurt. Insurance typically covers two years of salary for position players and four years of salary for pitchers.
It should be noted that denial of insurance coverage doesn’t automatically disqualify a player from participating in the WBC. Rather, it then puts the onus on the player’s MLB club regarding whether the team is willing to stomach the risk of that player participating in the tournament while uninsured. It’s a rare but not unheard of step for a team to take. Rosenthal and Drellich note Miguel Cabrera‘s participation in the tournament back in 2023 as an instance where a player was permitted to play uninsured. Of course, it should be noted that Cabrera was headed into the final season of his Hall of Fame caliber career and was already slated to be a part-time player, so the risk for Detroit if he did suffer a major injury was extremely small.
This isn’t only an issue that impacts players with hefty salaries. Team Puerto Rico’s operations manager, Joey Sola, told Drellich and Rosenthal that even some Double-A players without MLB salary guarantees or invites to big league Spring Training have been flagged in the insurance process. At the major league level, a number of relievers and other players with relatively low salaries have been denied coverage in spite of the substantially lower payout associated with them relative to the injury of a star player on a nine-figure contract.
Turning to Team Puerto Rico specifically, Gonzalez writes that Victor Caratini, Carlos Correa, Jose Berrios, Emilio Pagan, and Alexis Diaz are all expected to miss the tournament in addition to Lindor. So too is southpaw Jovani Moran, as noted by Tim Healey of the Boston Globe. Drellich and Rosenthal write that Moran’s case is under review, as are the cases of right-handers Luis Quinones and Yacksel Rios. Puerto Rico, with a population of just 3.2 million on the island, is being hit particularly hard by these losses due to a lack of quality substitutes. Puerto Rico’s capital of San Juan is scheduled to play host to one of the four pools in Round 1 of the WBC, joining Houston, Miami, and Tokyo. Multiple reports have indicated that Team Puerto Rico’s statements about potentially withdrawing from the tournament could lead to a less stringent approach towards approval for some of the team’s players.
The possible withdrawal of Team Puerto Rico isn’t the only controversy stemming from the coverage denials. As noted by Drellich and Rosenthal, Rojas and some in the Puerto Rican media have criticized the process as being particularly harsh on Latin American countries, with the United States and Japan receiving favorable treatment.
“My only question is: Why is it just with our countries [in Latin America], like Venezuela, Puerto Rico, a couple Dominican players?” Rojas said, as relayed by Gonzalez. “I don’t see that happening with the United States or happening with Japan. And I’m not trying to attack anybody, or attack what’s going on … but at the end of the day, it feels like it’s just happening with the players that want to represent their country from Latin America. So, there’s a lot of things I would like to talk about with someone in control, with someone from MLB.”
It’s not hard to understand that perspective, given that Ohtani would seem to fit the bill of a player with a “chronic” injury according to the process Gonzalez laid out after undergoing surgeries throughout his career. While Ohtani has been cleared to play for Team Japan as a DH, it’s also important to note that he will not pitch in the WBC and that reporting from Drellich and Rosenthal indicates he was not likely to be approved for coverage as a pitcher.
Another gripe that’s been expressed with the process is the extremely short turnaround time on decisions. WBC rosters are due this coming Tuesday, February 3, and will be announced on Thursday February 5. Some cases still remain under review and a number of decisions have come within just the last few days, leaving WBC teams to scramble for replacements when their expected players get denied coverage unexpectedly.
“In some ways, I think it’s a little bit unfair,” Sola said, as relayed by Drellich and Rosenthal. “Especially when you are three days from submitting your final roster. Who in the world would think Lindor wasn’t on the (eligible) list? You wait until the last weekend to get an answer on Lindor? C’mon.”
It remains to be seen whether Team Puerto Rico will withdraw from the tournament, or if some combination of players approved for coverage after review and a collection of substitute players will be enough to allow them to remain as part of the tournament. With less than 48 hours remaining until the day rosters are due, however, time is running out for the WBC, MLB, the MLBPA, and NFP to handle this issue.
Francisco Lindor Underwent Minor Elbow Surgery
Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor recently underwent minor surgery on his right elbow, according to Andy Martino of SNY. The club confirmed the debridement procedure this afternoon. Lindor is expected to be ready for spring training.
The 31-year-old star is coming off a year in which he hit .267/.346/.466 in 160 games with a 129 wRC+ that ranked fifth among qualified shortstops. Lindor hit 31 home runs and scored 117 runs in 2025, which more or less matched his totals from 2024, while slightly cutting his strikeout rate to 17.9% and bumping his walk rate to 8.9%. He also remained a threat on the basepaths, matching his career high with 31 stolen bases. His defense was more mixed, as Lindor was valued at -1 Defensive Run Saved (12th among qualified shortstops) but 5 Outs Above Average (tied for 8th), while Statcast put him the 90th percentile for range. Defensive metrics are finnicky, of course, though it appears Lindor remains an average to slightly above average defender to pair with his premium offense. All told, Lindor’s contributions were valued at 6.3 fWAR, which ranks fourth in the majors for his position.
Having Lindor ready to go for spring training will be good news for the Mets as they look to rebound from a disappointing season. At one point, the club held the best record in the majors. That momentum did not last, however, as the Mets posted a 38-52 record in their final 90 games and finished 83-79 overall, missing the playoffs thanks to the Reds holding a tiebreaker advantage. Offensively, the team posted a 112 wRC+ that tied for fourth in the majors with the Blue Jays, led by stellar performances from Lindor as well as Juan Soto and Pete Alonso. Pitching-wise, the Mets were not as fortunate, as their team ERA of 4.04 ranked 18th in the league and their rotation suffered a myriad of injuries. While David Peterson and Clay Holmes each pitched over 160 innings, Kodai Senga missed a month with a right hamstring strain and was ineffective upon his return, leading to him being optioned in September. Apart from those three, no other Mets starter even reached 100 innings.
Heading into 2026, the club will look to rebound behind Lindor, Soto, and hopefully improved health from the rotation. Alonso, Starling Marte, and deadline acquisition Cedric Mullins are free agents, though the Mets will surely attempt to re-sign Alonso. Disappointing finish aside, the club did finish second in the NL East behind the Phillies, who are also seeing a number of notable players become free agents, particularly Kyle Schwarber. If the Mets can reinforce the pitching staff with a few acquisitions while posting a similar offensive output as this year, they might pose a more serious threat to Philadelphia at the top of the division in 2026.
Francisco Lindor Dealing With Fractured Toe, Expects To Avoid Injured List
Francisco Lindor sat out yesterday’s 6-5 loss to the Dodgers. The star shortstop is day-to-day after fracturing his right pinky toe when he was hit by an 89 MPH slider from Tony Gonsolin in the first inning on Wednesday. Lindor finished that game and told reporters that he unsuccessfully lobbied manager Carlos Mendoza to remain in the lineup last night (link via Will Sammon of The Athletic).
Lindor said that he does not expect to go on the injured list. “I think it’s going to be a nagging thing. It’s a bone; it’s a broken bone. I think it takes six weeks for a bone to be fully healed,” he added. Mendoza said the Mets gave no consideration to using Lindor off the bench last night. Luisangel Acuña drew into the lineup at shortstop as the #9 hitter, while Brandon Nimmo moved up to Lindor’s customary spot atop the batting order.
It was just the second time all season that Lindor was out of the lineup. He is annually one of the most durable players in the sport. Lindor has only been on the IL one time since being traded to New York — a five-week absence in 2021 due to an oblique strain. He appeared in all but three of the team’s games between 2022-23. The Mets scaled that back slightly last season, though he still made 152 appearances and came close to 700 plate appearances. Only Matt Olson, Marcus Semien, Pete Alonso and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. have played in more games since the start of 2022.
Lindor has led off every game he’s started this season. Starling Marte and Nimmo have hit atop the order in the other two contests. Nimmo would probably get the bulk of the time there if Lindor needs a few more days off. It’s possible that the Mets will build in a few more staggered off days for last year’s MVP runner-up over the next month than they otherwise would in order to help manage the discomfort. Acuña would be the top choice to fill in defensively, with Ronny Mauricio as an alternative if they want a higher offensive ceiling than Acuña brings to the table.
In a more encouraging health development, Sean Manaea is set for his first game action of the season. The veteran lefty will begin a rehab assignment at High-A Brooklyn tonight, writes Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. Manaea will throw around 35 pitches in his first outing, Mendoza said on Wednesday. Manaea strained his right oblique early in camp.
Lingering soreness required an April platelet-rich plasma injection. He’ll need multiple rehab starts and is likely looking at a return to MLB action around the end of this month. Rehab assignments for pitchers can last up to 30 days. Manaea is coming off a 3.47 ERA across 181 2/3 innings. He re-signed on a three-year deal with a $75MM guarantee (with over $23MM deferred) in December.