An MRI performed on New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor on Monday showed no damage to his back, but Lindor has said that the pain continues and could last three to five days.
This will prolong his absence from the field, compromising the Mets’ chances of qualifying for the postseason, as they are in the race for one of the two National League wild cards.
“I’m doing very well, very well,” Lindor told MLB.com on Monday, referring to the results of the MRI he underwent. However, he indicated that “I still have a little bit of pain. It could be three to five days, or it could be two to three (of pain), it depends on how my back reacts.”
Lindor has been the flagship of the Mets (81-68), who as of Monday are tied with the Atlanta Braves (81-68) for the third wild card qualifying for the National League postseason.
The New York shortstop’s lower back pain worsened in last Friday’s game when he hit a double against the Philadelphia Phillies, he went over second base and made a sudden movement to try to avoid being thrown out, which caused him to be taken out of the game.
Because of the discomfort, Lindor did not see any action in Saturday’s game and tried to play in Sunday’s game against the Phillies, but was removed after the first inning when he again experienced pain in his lower back.
The team’s options for this discomfort are to rest and treat the Puerto Rican star, while they hope to recover him before the end of the regular season schedule on September 29.
The Mets have 13 games left to play in the season, and they need Lindor to maintain their winning pace.
In this final stretch, the Mets face three games against the Washington Nationals, four against the Phillies, three matches that will be life or death against the Braves, before closing the season with three duels against the Milwaukee Brewers, a road in which Lindor’s presence should be a factor in favor of those from New York.
The Lindor effect was felt immediately for the Mets, who won Friday’s game, in which the Puerto Rican played the first six innings, but subsequently fell in Saturday and Sunday’s games against the Phillies, when the Puerto Rican was unable to play or left the game before five innings.
Lindor has been the key factor in putting the Mets fully in the race to advance to the postseason, leading them with a batting average of .271, with 31 home runs, 103 runs scored and 86 RBIs, statistics that place him as the second favorite, among MLB specialists, among the candidates for the Most Valuable Player award of the National League, only behind the Japanese Shohei Ohtani.
The Mets’ options to replace him at shortstop include Cuban José Iglesias and Venezuelan Luisangel Acuña, who are a considerable distance from Lindor’s contribution.
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