The New York Mets got some good news Monday regarding the status of NL MVP candidate Francisco Lindor.
Lindor underwent an MRI on his back after leaving Sunday’s contest against the Philadelphia Phillies in the second inning. The 30-year-old hit a single to centre field and gingerly made his way to first base. He stayed in the game defensively in the bottom half of the inning, but was replaced the next time the Mets took the field.
The Mets said he was removed due to back discomfort, the same injury that forced him to exit on Friday and miss Saturday’s game.
“I think we got the best news,” New York manager Carlos Mendoza said about the clean MRI.
“I was expecting the worst, to be honest with you,” he added.
Lindor enters play Monday as the National League leader in WAR, according to FanGraphs, boasting a .271/.342/.494 slash line with 31 home runs, 27 stolen bases and 103 runs scored.
The Mets are currently tied for the final wild-card spot in the National League with the Atlanta Braves and begin a series with the Washington Nationals on Monday night.
“I’m great. I still have a little bit of pain, but we have good news. Everything seems like it’s good,” Lindor told reporters Monday. “It could be three to five days, or two to three, depending on how my back reacts.”
The four-time All-Star added that the “best-case scenario” would be a return in the series against Washington, which runs until Wednesday. After that, New York takes on the Phillies in a key four-game set.
