Shortstop Francisco Lindor had an opening weekend to forget in Houston after going 0-for-11 in a series in which his New York Mets dropped two of three to the Astros.
If this is something that sounds familiar, it’s because he was dealing with something eerily similar just one year ago. Before his late-spring wake-up that sparked the Mets’ run to the NLCS and a second-place finish in the NL MVP voting, Lindor started the 2024 campaign 1-for-31 amidst a miserable start that saw him batting .193 on May 20 (47 games).
“That’s a fantastic question,” Lindor said when asked what has plagued him during the early portions of the season. “I’m sure everyone is asking that, and I’m sure everyone is trying to figure it out, and I’m right there with everyone.”
Three games is not nearly the same sort of sample size as last year’s issue, but the off nights can avalanche quickly during a slump, which the Mets can ill afford to deal with for a second straight season — especially with high expectations of a deep postseason run in the cards.
His struggles punctuated a poor offensive opening weekend for the Mets outside of Juan Soto. While the new superstar went 3-for-9 with a home run, two RBI, and four walks, the rest of the lineup could only muster nine hits and three RBI. The supporting cast behind Lindor and Soto, Pete Alonso, Mark Vientos, and Brandon Nimmo, combined to go 4-for-31 in Houston.
“I’ve got to do a way better job to be on base and to make things happen,” Lindor said. “I think once I do that, then the offense is going to continue to get better. I feel like the guys had quality at-bats the entire weekend.”
There could be a break built into April for Lindor. He and his wife are expecting their third child within the next week or two, and it is unknown if he will miss any time because of it. When asked if that was weighing on his mind, the All-Star quickly shut it down.
“There was no baby last year, and I was in the same spot,” Lindor said. “This is not my kid’s fault. This is not my wife’s fault. I own up to it. I didn’t get any hits.”
The Mets head to Miami for the start of a three-game set against the Marlins beginning Monday, where they will face their ace, Sandy Alcantara, on Tuesday.
