Friday night’s series opener at Coors Field almost had the looks of an embarrassing loss to the 2025 Colorado Rockies.

For much of the night, the story was the Mets’ stagnant offense — particularly their struggles with runners in scoring position. They were 0-for-8 in that department until a key blow by Pete Alonso. Even then, they were stuck in a 2-2 standstill entering the ninth.

That is, until Francisco Lindor showed up.

It isn’t common for Lindor to miss games. He played in 152 contests last year. He missed only three games over the previous two seasons combined. But he’d been out of the starting lineup over the last two days with a broken toe, insistent that he could play through it but still sitting out of caution. Before Friday’s game, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza had indicated that he might return to the lineup in the next day or two.

It turned out, Lindor only needed to sit one full game before he’d be ready to go again.

“The trainers have done a fantastic job,” Lindor said. “Yeah, you see the results, but they are the ones putting in the work. putting in the time to get me right — to get me ready to be on the field… Once it comes to those moments, I’m just there to make something happen.”

Around the fourth or fifth inning, Lindor recalled, Mendoza asked him if he was available to hit. He said he was.

In the top of the ninth, the Mets had Alonso and Juan Soto on base. There were two outs. Tyrone Taylor was due up.

But it was Lindor who emerged from the dugout. The Mets fans in attendance at Coors Field gave him all the support they had in them. Lindor greeted home-plate umpire Chris Conroy, then stepped in the box with the same demeanor as always: calm, loose, and collected.

He only needed to take one pitch before rifling one down the right-field line.

It was a cutter on the inside edge that Lindor turned on. He hit the 94 mph pitch at 96.6 mph off the bat. It rattled around in the corner to easily get Soto in, and Alonso — who’d already come up heroically in this game — made an athletic tag to add an extra run.

It was Lindor’s moment. And Lindor’s baseball game. After it looked like the Mets might waste a gem from Kodai Senga, and the Rockies responded to Alonso’s two-run double, Lindor brought Queens magic to Denver.

“It illustrates what type of person Francisco Lindor is,” Senga told reporters after the game, through interpreter Hiro Fujiwara. “He’s a leader, and he’s just a superstar.”

With Lindor having established himself as a star at such a young age — a decade ago now — pinch-hitting isn’t a situation he’s found himself in often. Coming into Friday, over 11 years in the big leagues, he had only 10 pinch-hit plate appearances. He was 2-for-7 with a walk, a hit by pitch and a sacrifice fly in those chances.

And the Mets haven’t exactly gotten a ton of help in that department this year. Before Lindor’s double, Mets pinch-hitters had been 6-for-35 with no extra-base hits.

Lindor got the goose egg out of that column, and he made it count. Broken toe and all.

“We are spoiled,” Alonso said. “Because with him, you get a guy who’s just willing to strap it on regardless of how he feels, or regardless of how his health is. I’ve seen him do stuff like this all the time… I just have nothing but the most amount of respect… That’s really special, having a teammate willing to put his body on the line every single day like that.”

Now, the Mets will wait to see if Lindor is fully back or if he still needs a little more rest before resuming everyday duties. They did pull Lindor for pinch-runner Luisangel Acuña after the hit.

Lindor said he’d like to start Saturday’s game. He didn’t hesitate on that answer. But the decision, he said, ultimately lies with Mendoza and the trainers.

Either way, he’ll be there when and where the Mets need him.

“Special player, man,” Mendoza said. “I’ve been saying it. Special talent. We’re watching greatness here.”