PHILADELPHIA — If there's one thing that's absolutely inevitable for the Mets to make a playoff berth, it's losing Francisco Lindor.
Shortstop Lindor and Carlos Mendoza are confident the back injury that sidelined Lindor for Friday's 11-3 win over the Phillies is not serious, but the Mets will undoubtedly be bated by the wait to get him back on the field.
“It's tough to take Francisco out of the game,” Brandon Nimmo said. “We're worried about him. We know how important he is to this team. We wouldn't be here without him.”
Lindor was injured in the top of the sixth inning, when he stepped awkwardly to second base after Harrison Bader homered on a hit to center field to give the Mets a 7–0 lead.
Lindor said he didn't expect the throw to reach second base so quickly, and by the time he saw it coming it was too late to slide.
He walked off the base, got caught in a rundown between second and third base, then slid and was tagged out.
Lindor remained in the game and played in the bottom of the sixth before being replaced in the next inning.
When asked if he'll be able to play Saturday, Lindor said, “I hope so. I'm proud to be out there every day.”
Lindor said he probably would have stayed on the field if the game had been closer, but the team chose not to push it.
Mendoza called Lindor daily, and he has played every game this season.
Asked if he was worried the pain would cause him to miss time, Lindor said, “I hope I'm not worried,” adding that he was still “tight” after the win.
The player received treatment late in the game and said he would see how he felt when he woke up Saturday and then work with the Mets to decide whether to return.
With Lindor out of the game, José Iglesias moved from second base to shortstop, and rookie Eddie Alvarez entered the game at second base.
The Mets don't have a true backup shortstop and are already monitoring Iglesias' playing time at second base with Jeff McNeil out for the remainder of the regular season.
