Just as the entire Mets offense got healthy for the first time in two and a half months, the Mets lost Francisco Lindor to an oblique injury on Saturday.
Lindor was placed on the 10-day injured list ahead of Saturday’s game against the Pirates. They called up Travis Blankenhorn from Triple-A Syracuse in his place.
“I have a lot of faith in God. It happened for a reason,” Lindor said. “I don’t have 100% health, but I have 95% health. And I’m glad I can live another day and do what it takes to help the boys.”
Lindor also clarified that it was a Grade 2 strain.
The shortstop, who’d been slashing .228/.326/.376 on the season with a 99 wRC+, injured the oblique on a ground out in the fifth inning of Friday’s game. Swinging from the left side of the plate, he didn’t run out the grounder to second, went directly down the dugout tunnel and was replaced by Luis Guillorme.
Francisco Lindor left the game in the middle of the 5th inning after appearing to injure his side on a swing. pic.twitter.com/eipL4J8JCJ
— SNY (@SNYtv) July 17, 2021
Lindor is tied for second place in Outs Above Average from the shortstop position this year and leads all Mets position players with 1.8 fWAR in 2021. He also has been on fire in July, continuing a slow progression from mid-May during which Lindor has returned to his average self at the plate.
In the meantime, Guillorme, Jonathan Villar and José Peraza will likely split time at shortstop until Lindor gets back or the team addresses the hole before the trade deadline.
