New York Mets star shortstop Francisco Lindor will be evaluated for a stress fracture in his left hamate bone, president of baseball operations David Stearns revealed on Tuesday.
Surgery is very much on the table, which would keep him shelved for six weeks. Stearns, however, is confident that Lindor would be ready for Opening Day even if the procedure is needed.
“He experienced some soreness in his left hand/wrist area over the past couple of days,” Stearns said. “Informed our medical staff…. At this point, even if it does require surgery, we would remain optimistic that Francisco would be back for Opening Day.”
These symptoms have been nothing new for Lindor, as Stearns revealed that the 32-year-old has experienced soreness in that left-wrist area for the last few years.
“He’s usually able to grind through it,” Stearns said. “And he’s done it. I don’t know when he first felt it, but I think it just persisted to the point where he felt like he should say something about it. Once we examined it a little bit more yesterday, our medical staff determined that he should see a specialist.”
This is the second notable injury concern that Lindor has run into this offseason. Shortly after the conclusion of the 2025 season, he had surgery on his right elbow that the team described as a “minor cleanup.”
Because of that, he was not insured to play for Team Puerto Rico at next month’s World Baseball Classic, though this latest issue would have shelved him, regardless.
“We had nothing to do with that,” Stearns said of Lindor’s WBC status. “I actually don’t know why he wasn’t given clearance. He wasn’t approved for insurance. Clubs have no part in that. That’s all done through the MLBPA and Major League Baseball. I really don’t know why.”
The Mets obviously cannot afford to be without their leader for too much time. An All-Star last season, Lindor slashed .267/.346/.466 with 31 home runs and 86 RBI. Should he miss regular-season games, though, Stearns listed Ronny Mauricio and Vidal Brujan as interim replacements.
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