Francisco Lindor hasn't played a full game in more than a week, and nothing he said or did on Sunday at Citi Field indicated he'll be ready to play a full game when the Mets open another key series on the road Tuesday, this time at Atlanta, with a wild-card spot on the line.
Though his back is still not feeling great, Lindor is running, throwing, getting ground balls and getting hits, but he's not yet running the bases and will likely need some game time before he can return to the lineup.
The shortstop added that he is “optimistic” he will be able to play again this season, but acknowledged that even if he does return, he will not be pain-free.
“I want to be there more than anybody else, and the trainers want me to be there more than anybody else,” Lindor said after the Mets' win over the Phillies on Sunday in Queens. “I just want to hit in a place that makes them feel comfortable and makes them feel good, and I do the same.”
He is running out of time, which means Luisángel Acuña's presence will become all the more important.
Lindor has pitched just one inning since Sept. 13, but the Mets have a chance to clinch a wild-card spot with two wins in the series against the Braves, which would give them a chance to win a tiebreaker against Atlanta.
Since getting two hits in his MLB debut on Sept. 14 in Philadelphia, Acuna has provided a much-needed boost with strong performances at both the plate and shortstop.
It wasn't a given that the 22-year-old would make such an impact so soon, especially after a tough season with Triple-A Syracuse. After arriving midseason in the Max Scherzer trade with Texas, he had a disappointing season with Double-A Binghamton, posting just a .654 OPS this year.
Manager Dick Scott, who managed Acuna in the minor leagues this season, has watched his ups and downs up close.
“When the season started, he was 22 years old and in Triple-A and still learning the game,” Scott said. “The pitchers around him were throwing hard pitches and he was getting beat up at the plate, but he kept his head up, kept working hard, came out early and did what he had to do.”
Acuna hit just seven home runs in 131 games with Syracuse this season, but had three in nine games with the Mets.
Just as importantly, he has soft hands and a strong arm and appears very comfortable playing shortstop, something some of his new teammates have noted.
Acuna's early success has allowed the Mets to remain patient with Lindor, but if the Dodgers star, who was competing with Shohei Ohtani for the National League MVP award before his injury, can return to health, they'll have a better chance of making the playoffs and finishing in the top spot if they do.
That means the Mets can watch Acuña continue to develop rather than rushing to bring back Lindor.
“Nobody expected him to come in for Lindor and play shortstop and have no problems with the team,” Scott said. “He went in in a pressure situation and he just played.”
Acuna has been a standout player so far, but he'll shine even more in Atlanta, where his older brother, Ronald Jr., last year's MVP, is out for the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.
“His brother is the reigning MVP and a well-known All-Star, so he was highly anticipated as a prospect,” Scott said. “Everybody wants the same results from Lewis, but players develop at different rates. He got off to a slow start, but now he's just playing.”
And it's happening at a time when he's needed most.
“He was professional the whole time he was there,” Pete Alonso said. “He was really impressive, obviously, with his play off the ball, and he was solid and reliable defensively. He's a true professional and was a big part of it for us, especially.” [Lindor’s] “It was depressing. He's going to help us win a lot of games, not just this year, but in the future.”
“He's situationally thriving,” Scott said. “That's what good players do. He's doing this in the middle of a playoff race. What people expect the rest of his career to be, I'm not empowered to predict, but he's doing it at exactly the right time.”
