On the same day that star slugger Juan Soto returned to the New York Mets lineup from a right calf strain, shortstop Francisco Lindor left Wednesday’s game against the Minnesota Twins in the fourth inning with an apparent calf injury. Brett Baty replaced him in the lineup.
Francisco Lindor Leaves Mets Game with Calf Injury
Lindor’s injury, which the Mets later described as “left calf tightness,” occurred when he was running from first base to home plate on an RBI double from Francisco Alvarez. As Lindor rounded third, he grimaced for a moment. As he slid feet first into home plate, he lingered there for a moment before slowly getting up. He walked back to the dugout rather slowly as well. Just seconds later, the 32-year-old went down the tunnel into the dugout with trainers, who quickly examined Lindor.
The play where Francisco Lindor supposedly got hurt:
Looked very slow running the bases, and remained on the ground after sliding into home.
A nightmare injury for the Mets. pic.twitter.com/IhJ89BhQge
— SleeperMets (@SleeperMets) April 23, 2026
While no injury comes at a “good time,” this one comes at an especially bad time. With the offense spiraling amid a 12-game losing streak and the worst record in baseball at 7-16, this is the last thing the Mets needed.
Lindor had been heating up recently after a brutal stretch to the start of the season. Entering play on Wednesday, Lindor over his last eight games produced an .829 OPS in 32 at-bats. Prior to exiting the game on Wednesday, Lindor was 2-for-2 with an RBI and a run scored over four innings. For the season, Lindor is hitting .226/.314/.355 with two home runs, five RBI, and a .669 OPS in all 24 games.
Over the offseason (Feb. 11), the four-time All-Star underwent surgery to repair a hamate bone in his left hand, which caused Lindor to miss the entirety of spring training. In 2024, Lindor missed 10 games due to a couple of physical ailments, and in 2022, he missed just one game due to a fractured right pinky toe.
Main Photo Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images
