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The New York Mets got some unfortunate news on Wednesday when the final two games of their crucial series against the Atlanta Braves were postponed to a doubleheader on Monday. However, if the Mets had played, they would have gotten their best player back in the lineup after a lengthy injury spell.
Before Wednesday's rainout became official, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza had penciled in superstar Francisco Lindor to lead off and play shortstop, per Anthony DiComo of MLB.com.
“He was feeling good today,” Mendoza said. “That’s why he was in the lineup. He’s going to work out, hit in the cages, move around, and we’ll see how he continues to progress. But we’re buying him an extra day or two here.”
Lindor had missed eight straight games for the Mets after tweaking his back on Sept. 13 before briefly appearing in, and then exiting early on Sept. 15. It was clear that Lindor was close to returning after he was seen in the on-deck circle with two outs in the ninth inning during the Mets' 5-1 loss to the Braves on Tuesday despite not ending up in the game.
Now, Lindor will have an additional two days to continue to get healthy before the Mets begin a three-game series against the Milwaukee Brewers before the doubleheader against the Braves on Monday.
What Francisco Lindor's return will mean for the New York Mets
Before going down earlier in the month, Lindor was having one of the best seasons in all of baseball and was even being considered a fringe MVP candidate. The 30-year-old shortstop is slashing .271/.342/.494 with 31 home runs, 86 RBI and 27 stolen bases while playing Gold Glove-caliber defense.
While the Mets were able to stay afloat in Lindor's absence, what he meant, and continues to mean to the team can not be understated. Lindor has been one of the Mets' vocal leaders and has been a key part of their surprise postseason push. The Mets are currently in possession of the second National League Wild Card position, a 1/2 game up on the Arizona Diamondbacks, who have the third and final spot, and one game up on the Braves who are just outside the postseason picture.
The two-game rainout and subsequent doubleheader could lead to chaos for the Mets. However, if it means that a healthier Lindor will be available to them for more games, it may make it all worth it.
