PHILADELPHIA — Francisco Lindor exited the Mets’ 11-3 win over the Phillies on Friday night with what the team described as “lower back soreness.” Lindor is day-to-day.
The shortstop and candidate for National League MVP said he jammed his back awkwardly stepping on second base when trying to leg out a double in the top of the sixth. Lindor didn’t expect a close play and was caught off guard when he had to reach for the bag with his foot at the last second. He ended up slipping past the base and being tagged out.
He played the bottom of the inning defensively before coming out of the game, which the Mets led 7-0 at the time.
“I definitely would have tried to push it (in a closer game),” Lindor said. “It was definitely tight enough for me to tell (manager Carlos Mendoza) to back off of it.”
Lindor received treatment during the game and is hopeful he can be in the lineup Saturday. The Mets can ill afford any absence from their star; they’re already playing without second baseman Jeff McNeil for the remainder of the season. José Iglesias, who is getting the everyday time at second for McNeil, slid over to shortstop when Lindor left. Eddy Alvarez, acquired earlier this week, is the only other capable middle infielder on the active roster.
Lindor has played in all 147 of New York’s games this season, starting 146 of them to this point.
“I’m going to do whatever it takes to be available,” he said. “We’ll see how I wake up.”
With Friday night’s win, the Mets remained one game up on Atlanta for the final wild-card spot in the National League. Twelve of New York’s final 15 games are against teams contending for the postseason in the NL, including six more with Philadelphia.
(Photo of Francisco Lindor and Trea Turner: Derik Hamilton / Associated Press)
