NEW YORK — The New York Mets released additional details Friday regarding All-Star shortstop Francisco Lindor’s injury status following his placement on the disabled list.
While no specific return date has been established, the five-time All-Star will be required to wear a protective boot on his lower left leg for the coming week. Medical imaging will be conducted again in three weeks, followed by another evaluation of his condition.
The team added Lindor to the 10-day injured list Thursday due to a left calf strain. Manager Carlos Mendoza indicated that the switch-hitting infielder would be “going to be down for quite a bit here.”
“We’ve still got a lot of people looking at this,” Mendoza commented prior to Friday evening’s matchup against the Colorado Rockies.
The injury occurred while Lindor was running home from first base on Francisco Alvarez’s double during Wednesday evening’s contest, a 3-2 win over Minnesota that snapped New York’s 12-game losing streak.
The timing proved particularly unfortunate, coming just hours after star outfielder Juan Soto returned from the injured list following a 15-game absence due to his own right calf strain, which was deemed less serious than Lindor’s current injury.
“We’ve got to see where this is in three weeks and see how the healing goes,” stated president of baseball operations David Stearns.
The organization recalled Ronny Mauricio from Triple-A Syracuse on Thursday, and he took over shortstop duties Friday for his second consecutive start.
Soto has been serving as designated hitter for three straight games since his return, despite originally being scheduled to play left field Thursday evening. Mendoza explained that keeping Soto at DH has enabled him to appear in three consecutive games.
“Finding ways to keep his bat in the lineup while we’re not putting him at risk,” Mendoza explained. “If he needs a day, he needs a day. As much as we need his bat in the lineup, he’s going to get days (off).”
In related roster moves, right-handed pitcher Christian Scott was sent back to Syracuse following a difficult Thursday outing against the Twins in his first major league appearance since Tommy John surgery in 2024. The team promoted veteran right-handed reliever Carl Edwards Jr. from their top minor league affiliate.
Scott struggled with control, walking five batters and lasting just 1 1/3 innings. He also hit a batter and was called for a balk, though the Mets managed a 10-8 victory despite late bullpen confusion.
Left-handed pitcher David Peterson is slated to take the mound Wednesday evening against Washington when that rotation spot comes up again, though it may be in a bulk-relief capacity rather than as a traditional starter.
In another injury update, Stearns characterized Jorge Polanco’s situation as week-to-week rather than day-to-day. The first baseman and designated hitter remains on the 10-day injured list with a bruised right wrist, while also dealing with bursitis in his left heel that has troubled him since early in the season.
Mendoza noted that Polanco is showing improvement and is scheduled for additional testing this weekend.
Left-handed reliever A.J. Minter continues on track for an early May return from left lat surgery that ended his 2025 season prematurely.
“Injuries are part of this, and injuries to good players are part of this,” Stearns observed. “We’re certainly not the only team in baseball that deals with this, and we just have to get through it.”
The 12-game losing streak represented New York’s longest since August 2002. The Mets have won two consecutive games since Soto’s return, though historically, no team has reached the playoffs in the same season after losing 12 straight games.
“I still think we’re a good team. I recognize we had a stretch where we did not play good baseball and it cost us, and cost us repeatedly, but I think we’re a good team and I think we will show that,” Stearns said.
“Yes, it’s a frustrating stretch and we didn’t play well. We’re also not going to wholesale-change our evaluation of our team over a two-week stretch. This is a long season. Going through a 12-game losing streak is difficult and it’s not usual. There’s a reason it doesn’t happen very often. Even with that, I don’t think it should change our overall evaluation of the team — especially this early in the season.”
