New York Mets‘ Francisco Lindor had surgery on Feb. 11 after a specialist confirmed the diagnosis of a stress reaction in his left hamate bone. As a result, the Mets’ shortstop will miss the next six weeks, per MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo.
As a result, there’s concern about whether Lindor will be ready for Opening Day as the Mets will kick off their 2026 season on March 26 with a series against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
On Feb. 15, Lindor spoke with the media and shared an update on his injury and whether he sees himself making it to Opening Day.
“I’m very optimistic,” Lindor told reporters about playing on Opening Day (h/t SNY). “As a player, my goal is to be there on Opening Day. I trust my staff. I feel like they have dealt with this many times. I know they have dealt with this many times, and they’re really good. They’re probably one of the better ones in the game. So I feel like the goal is to be there.”
Moreover, Lindor explained why this was the time to finally have the surgery on an injury that has been lingering for some time.
“This is something that I’ve dealt with over the years,” Lindor added (h/t SNY). “It was come and go. I came to work out here, and I did my full workout. When I finished, something felt a little off. The medical staff, they’re really good, so they decided to image it. At first, it was a little unclear. Then the following week, they decided to image more in depth. It turned out that it was not the way they wanted. We decided to go and get [the surgery] done.”
Should Bo Bichette Take Over at Shortstop Short Term?
While Lindor is out for spring training and there’s a possibility he might miss the start of the 2026 MLB season, the question of Bo Bichette potentially playing shortstop is emerging.
Bichette is getting used to a new position at third base, so getting all the reps in during spring training will be vital for him to feel comfortable once the season starts. Nonetheless, former Met Ron Darling disagrees and believes Bichette should get the reps at shortstop with Lindor out.
“It doesn’t stunt great athletes’ growth, I wouldn’t think,” Darling said during a Feb. 12 appearance on MLB Network about Bichette not having as many reps at third base during spring training.
“I think he can make the transition easily. He would take the ground balls at shortstop. He can play some shortstop and do some work at third base. I mean, the big difference between going from shortstop to third base is that when you play shortstop in the major leagues, you have great hands and you’re a great fielder.”
Mets’ Bo Bichette Can Transition Easily to 3B
Moreover, Darling noted that there’s one major difference between shortstop and third base.
“The whole difference between third base and shortstop is that when you’re a shortstop, you see the delivery of the pitch, you see where it’s going, and you react as you see the ball come off the bat,” Darling.
“The difference as a third baseman is you don’t see that. You’re really tracking the pitcher as he releases the ball. You’re looking in front of the plate, you’re looking where the hitter is going to make contact, and trying to read off that. That’s the biggest difference.”
Mets’ Francisco Lindor Shares Major Injury Update After Surgery