Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor is expected to make his return to New York’s lineup in the upcoming series opener against the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday night. Lindor had been sidelined due to a back injury, missing five consecutive games and playing only one inning in the past seven games prior to Saturday.
According to Mets manager Carlos Mendoza, Lindor showed improvement on Saturday and is planning to resume running sprints, hitting, and taking ground balls. Lindor had received a numbing injection for the facet joints on each side of his spine on Thursday.
Mendoza expressed his intention for Lindor to return as the team’s shortstop, ruling out the possibility of him serving as a designated hitter. The manager emphasized the importance of Lindor being a full player for the team, highlighting the challenges of maintaining hitting momentum if he were to DH.
Lindor’s performance this season has seen notable improvement, with a batting average of .271, 31 homers, 86 RBIs, and 27 stolen bases. Despite a slow start earlier in the season, Lindor has since shown strong numbers, hitting .307 with 24 homers and 64 RBIs in his last 101 games.
