The Mets will be without Francisco Lindor for a fourth straight day as they look to make the playoffs.
The Mets begin a four-game home series against the NL East leaders, but Lindor will miss Thursday's game against the Phillies because of a sore back. According to SNY.
The National League MVP candidate announced Monday that he will miss three to five days but is expected to return at the end of that period at the earliest.
Lindor last played against the same Phillies on a Sunday, playing one inning at shortstop before being replaced in a 2-1 walk-off loss.
He missed last Saturday's game because of back soreness, his first absence of the year.
He said he had been suffering from back pain for more than a week, but the symptoms worsened while running the bases in Friday's big win over the Phillies.
Lindor's MRI showed no abnormalities and he is expected to return this week.
“Best-case scenario is we play against the Nationals,” Lindor said Monday, “but I don't know how realistic that is. We'll see how I react.” [Tuesday] And if the trainers allow me to move. I will force them, but I will respect their decision and the way they do it.”
Lindor missed the entire series against the Nationals, but the Mets didn't lose momentum without him, grabbing their third sweep of the season against Washington.
Prospect Luisángel Acuña has held down the fort in Lindor's absence, starting at shortstop in the past two games and going 5-for-8 with two home runs and four RBIs.
Thursday's opener marks the start of a tough 10-game stretch for the Mets (84-68) that will determine whether they return to the playoffs for the second time in three years.
The Mets are the fifth seed in the National League due to a tiebreaker advantage over the Diamondbacks and are two games behind the Braves for a playoff spot.
The team will play on the road against Atlanta next week – after splitting the first 10 games, the winner of the series will win a tiebreaker – before wrapping up the season in Milwaukee against the Brewers, the NL Central Division champions.
“I expect (the discomfort) will last the rest of the year, but it's manageable,” Lindor said earlier this week.
