The New York Mets narrowly avoided disaster as Francisco Lindor received good news from the MRI exam on his lower back on Monday.
The starting shortstop expects to play again during the regular season.
However, he won’t be available immediately.
Lindor said he will miss up to five days, but if his back reacts quickly it could be around two or three days.
“I was praying on my way to the MRI that the scan was going to be something day to day,” Lindor said before the Mets opened a series against the Nationals at Citi Field. “And the Good Lord answered my prayers.”
Lindor, who missed Saturday’s game in Philadelphia due to back discomfort, tried to play on Sunday but left the game in the bottom of the second inning.
“I am expecting it to last the rest of the year, but it’s going to be manageable,” Lindor said. “I think it’s going to be [Tuesday] I wake up sore, but not as bad and it’s going to be something like that the rest of the year.”
Lindor, an MVP candidate with a .834 OPS and 31 home runs, has been a key player in the New York Mets’ second-half push for the postseason. A lingering injury could significantly impact the team’s playoff prospects.
Lindor missed his first game of the season on Saturday because of the discomfort in his lower back but returned to his usual spot in the lineup the following day. He led off the first inning with a bloop single to center but didn’t feel right when he ran to first.
“When I hit the ball and took a couple steps out of the box, it didn’t feel the way I wanted it to feel,” Lindor said. “I didn’t feel comfortable to continue to push it.”
Lindor had worked with trainers and taken swings in the batting cage before the game, feeling confident he could play through the discomfort. However, it’s likely he will take a more cautious approach on Monday and possibly beyond.
“As someone who wants to post up and be available, it is difficult to come out of the game and not be there for my teammates,” he said. “It didn’t feel good.”
Mets manager Carlos Mendoza is going to be cautious with Lindor moving forward. He is too important for the Mets to lose him on an injury that could be prevented before the playoffs begin.
“Health is the No. 1 here,” Mendoza said. “We don’t want him to go out there and put himself at risk.”
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