It's not too late for Francisco Lindor to show the Mets he's worth the wait
The Mets' Francisco Lindor flies out as Javier Baez stands in the on-deck circle during the first inning against the Giants in an MLB game at Citi Field on Tuesday. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
Jacob deGrom throwing in the Citi outfield Wednesday afternoon was a welcome sight for the Mets. Francisco Lindor missing from that night’s lineup against the Giants was anything but.
Based on deGrom’s vague timetable, which no one associated with the team will dare take a stab at, the chances of him impacting the Mets’ playoff run in any meaningful way remain microscopically slim. His enemy is the calendar.
But Lindor doesn’t get the same pass. He’s back, presumably fully healed from the oblique strain that cost him five weeks, and the Mets are all out of magic bullets. A revived Lindor is the only Hail Mary they have, and when you’re wearing a $341-million contract, it’s not outlandish to expect a little extra when the situation is dire.
And Lindor should embrace this last six-week shot at redemption. The question is whether he’s capable of doing so. Despite missing a significant chunk of the season with a significant injury, Lindor wasn’t sent out for a minor-league rehab assignment to knock the rust off. Instead, the Mets tried to ramp him up with simulations before their actual games, and Tuesday night’s return in the 8-0 loss to the Giants wasn’t the immediate jolt they we’re hoping for.
Lindor hit a ball to the leftfield warning track in his first at-bat, but finished the night 0-for-4, stranding three runners from the No. 3 spot, sandwiched between Pete Alonso and his buddy Javy Baez. His wasn’t the only disappointing performance. The Mets only had five hits -- four of them singles to go along with pitcher Tylor Megill’s misplayed double.
We’re not sure what was reasonable to expect from Lindor in his first game back, at any level. But it’s safe to say the Mets need more, and holding him out of Wednesday’s lineup was a precautionary move they can’t afford to do much going forward considering their predicament, trailing the Braves by 6 1/2 games with 37 left to play.
"It’s time to go -- it’s been time to go," Lindor said after Tuesday night’s loss. "We’ve got to find a way."
Just because it’s been that kind of season for the Mets, Lindor was showing signs of a resurgence before the oblique strain, hitting .266 with seven doubles, a triple, eight home runs, 27 RBIs and an .830 OPS in the 45 games leading up to his stint on the injury list. The Mets had waited months to see that Lindor -- the franchise shortstop the front office envisioned -- only to have him watching from the dugout, helpless, as they plunged from the top spot in the NL East.
In the meantime, the Mets acquired Baez at the trade deadline -- Lindor was so thrilled he let out a celebratory scream on the field upon hearing the news that day -- and supposedly set the stage for one of the sport’s most dynamic double-play combos to open up shop in Flushing. But Baez didn’t prove to be much of a deadline savior in manning shortstop for his recovering friend, hitting .205 (8-for-39) with two homers, four RBIs and 15 strikeouts -- along with his own stay on the IL -- before Tuesday’s reunion.
The reality didn’t live up to the Lindor-Baez hype for their first game together, but it was a forgettable night overall for the Mets. Obviously that can’t continue. Lindor may have projected the right tone Tuesday in expressing a sense of urgency, but he’s being paid a ton to deliver more than pep talks. If Lindor is indeed healthy enough to be playing, the meter starts running again, and he’s got to provide a spark somehow. If Lindor thought he faced pressure before missing those 36 games, it’s now-or-never to salvage this season.
"He demands a lot of himself -- a lot," manager Luis Rojas said. "And he’s hard on his teammates, too. He wants everyone to start performing better and I think that’s what his message was. We’ve got to do things now. I saw his interview and he’s right. I don’t sense any panicking, but it’s just being realistic. A guy like him, he’s always been real."
Rojas said it was the Mets’ performance staff that kept Lindor from Wednesday night’s lineup, just to re-introduce him to the workload more gradually. Otherwise, Lindor was fine after his first game back, and he’ll likely get one more day off this week to ease his return to the grind.
Lindor has an opportunity here. He can’t erase the past frustration, but there is a shot at changing the narrative. Even if he can’t save the Mets, Lindor is supposed to a player capable of keeping them in the fight. He’s got the next six weeks to show he’s that guy.
David Lennon is an award-winning columnist, a voter for baseball's Hall of Fame and has covered six no-hitters, including two perfect games.
