Lindor participates in minor league defensive practice, "100% optimistic" about making Opening Day

With more than two weeks until Opening Day, Francisco Lindor quietly took a significant step toward full recovery.

During the New York Mets' 6-1 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals, Lindor played in a minor league game against the Cardinals on another field, fielding four innings at shortstop. Although he committed one defensive error, he remains optimistic about the most important goal: being ready for the Mets' Opening Day on March 26 at Citi Field against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

"It felt really good," Lindor said. "I'm tired. That's part of the process. Today was a good day."

Lindor did not bat in that minor league game, which follows more flexible rules than official spring training games. While he has already swung in indoor batting cages, he is not yet ready to handle the batting workload of a game. He hopes to reach that point soon.

On defense, Lindor admitted that catching with less than his usual force was a challenge, as he is still recovering from surgery on February 11 to repair a stress reaction in his left hamate bone.

"But that won't cause me to make errors due to lack of hand strength," Lindor said. "Ultimately, I can catch the ball. So I'm in a good state right now. I have nothing to complain about."

For Lindor, this live action came just one day after baseball operations president David Stearns expressed optimism about his chances of making the March 26 Opening Day. Stearns' only prerequisite was that Lindor must participate in official games by that time; now that he has played in a minor league game, that prospect looks much more realistic.

"I certainly share the same confidence as him," Lindor said regarding Stearns. "Our training staff is excellent. They have been doing everything possible... All of them are working as hard as they can day after day to get me healthy. I trust the process."

The 32-year-old Lindor underwent surgery after experiencing unusual pain in his hand early in spring training. This issue had bothered him multiple times in the past but did not resolve on its own this year. The surgery has an estimated six-week recovery period, which aligns perfectly for Lindor to target Opening Day.

Although Lindor is still reluctant to fully commit to being ready for Opening Day, he stated he is "100% optimistic" about it. The bigger question is whether the shortstop can perform at full capacity. When healthy, he is one of the league's most consistent contributors, finishing in the top ten of NL MVP voting for four consecutive seasons. Last season, Lindor played 160 games, posting a .267/.346/.466 slash line with 31 home runs and 31 stolen bases, achieving his second 30-30 season in the past three years and making his first All-Star selection as a Mets player.

During this period, Lindor has dealt with multiple injuries, including a relatively serious back issue in September 2024, a toe fracture last June, and a right elbow problem requiring surgery last October. Nevertheless, he has averaged 158 games per season over the past four years.

"It's hard to say I'm at 100%," Lindor said. "When we rely on our bodies, few people can claim they are 100% healthy. I believe there will always be some aches here and there, and I believe my hand will still hurt sometimes. Everyone I've talked to about hamate issues says it still bothers them occasionally. But ultimately, the key is being able to play at an elite level. That's what I'm striving for. Whatever it takes to help the team win, I'll do it."