After suffering a broken bone in his hand, New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor is expected to be sidelined for the majority, if not all of spring training. However, he still takes his role on the team seriously.
There are no captains on the Mets, per owner Steve Cohen's orders. But despite his injury, Lindor still managed to be on the diamond with his teammates on Tuesday, showing how important the team's growth is to him, via Anthony DiComo of MLB.com.
📸 Francisco Lindor and his bandaged hand out this morning during infield drills with his Mets teammates. pic.twitter.com/hTFrZIkblY
— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) February 17, 2026
The Mets are going to be cautious when it comes to Lindor's injury. Both player and team will be hopeful the shortstop will be ready for Opening Day. But if Lindor is still reeling, New York won't want to force things so early in the season.
When he does make his return to the diamond, Lindor will be expected to make major contributions to the Mets' offense. New York has been busy all offseason, rebuilding their infield with Jorge Polanco at first, Marcus Semien at second and Bo Bichette at third. Lindor is the only returner from last year's team and will be viewed as a true leader on the infield.
The shortstop is coming off of an All-Star 2025 campaign that saw him hit .267 with 31 home runs, 86 RBIs and 31 stolen bases. Over his five years total with the Mets, Lindor has hit .261 with 141 home runs, 445 RBIs and 117 stolen bases.
For now, the Mets and Lindor are simply focused on getting the shortstop back healthy. However, all parties can't wait until the five-time All-Star is on the diamond again.
