New York Mets star shortstop Francisco Lindor is already “attacking the rehab process,” less than one week after undergoing surgery to repair his left hamate bone, manager Carlos Mendoza disclosed on Sunday.
“He’s in a good spot in attacking the rehab process, which he’s already doing,” Mendoza said. “You could see him, full uni, almost everywhere in the building. This is a guy who gets bored. Last time I saw him, he was in the cages. But he’s been on the half field, sitting there and watching guys, he’s in the training room, he’s in the weight room, he’s in the locker room.”
Mendoza added that Lindor will begin “ramping up” his conditioning and his right throwing arm in the coming days.
“We’ll see how everything continues to evolve, but overall, he’s in a good place,” he said.
Lindor had surgery on Wednesday after consulting with a hand specialist. He was initially prescribed a six-week timetable to return, which would put him right at Opening Day. The Mets were immediately optimistic that he would be able to hit that benchmark, and it appears that positive outlook is being maintained by Lindor’s presence at team facilities down in Port St. Lucie, FL.
There is also some consolation that he could make it back in time for the regular season, thanks to other examples within the clubhouse. Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez had surgery on a fractured left hamate bone during the spring last season and was sidelined for just a little over six weeks.
Lindor has also played through numerous injuries since he was acquired by the Mets from Cleveland in 2021. He missed one game after fracturing his right middle finger in a freak hotel accident in 2022. He then played through a nagging back injury to help lift New York to the postseason in 2024, hitting the go-ahead home run down in Atlanta during the final day of the regular season to clinch their berth.
Last season, he played through a broken pinky toe, then underwent debridement surgery on his right elbow in October.
Whether or not the full extent of his game is ready, though, remains to be seen. Perhaps the biggest side effect of the surgery is a downturn in power upon returning. Alvarez hit just one home run in 28 games before being demoted to Triple-A. Upon his return, he hit eight in 41.
Lindor smacked 31 home runs with 31 stolen bases last season, which featured his first All-Star Game selection since becoming a Met.
