Mets avoid calamity with Francisco Lindor’s back injury update

Francisco Lindor said he prayed Monday before he received imaging on his lower back and was thankful those prayers were answered.

The Mets shortstop won’t immediately return to the lineup, but he expects to play again this season after he received a clean MRI result.

Lindor said his timetable for return is 3-5 days, but if his back reacts quickly that time frame could be shortened by a day.

The Mets had 13 games remaining on the schedule as they arrived at Citi Field on Monday.

“The best-case scenario would be playing against the Nationals,” Lindor said of the three-game series that began Monday night. “But I don’t know how realistic that is. We will see how I react [Tuesday] and if the trainers allow me to move. I am going to force their hands, but I respect their decision and the way they go about things.”

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Lindor, with his back barking, missed his first game of the season on Saturday in Philadelphia.

He returned to the starting lineup a day later, but left the game in the bottom of the second inning after he struggled running to first base and fielding his position.

The back has bothered Lindor for over a week, but he said he aggravated it running the bases Friday night, when he was tagged out after overrunning second base on a double.

Lindor departed the game in the seventh inning.

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Manager Carlos Mendoza said he feared for the worst as Lindor prepared for his MRI exam.

“For Lindor to not be in the lineup [Saturday] and then be in the lineup and come out of the game after one inning, that is pretty tough because I know how hard and how tough this guy is,” Mendoza said.

Jose Iglesias started at shortstop on Monday, with Eddy Alvarez at second base.

Luisangel Acuna had received most of the innings at shortstop over the weekend with Lindor hurting.

Lindor said an injection was discussed to manage his pain, but he opted for oral painkillers.

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“I am expecting [discomfort] to last the rest of the year, but it’s going to be manageable,” Lindor said. “I think it’s going to be [Tuesday] I wake up sore, but not as bad and it’s going to be something like that the rest of the year.”

Lindor was asked if it’s possible the back worsened because he tried to play Sunday.

“I don’t think so, because I felt fine, I felt good,” Lindor said. “And it wasn’t like a freak accident, where it just felt like, ‘Oh, I reinjured it.’ It just got tight on me so I don’t think [Sunday’s] situation put me back, I just felt like I could play through it and the next thing you know I didn’t feel comfortable enough to stay on the field.

“When I can’t do what I love the most, which is play great defense, that’s when I saw something. I was a little timid on the ground balls.”

The Mets began the day tied with Atlanta for the NL’s third wild card, and Mendoza didn’t want his team losing sight of the big picture with their MVP candidate sidelined.

“It will be strange, but nobody is going to feel sorry for us and that’s the message in talking to the players,” Mendoza said. “People are going to have to continue to step up — we have done it the whole year. The good news is he’s going to be back, but in the meantime we just can’t sit here and wait until he gets back. We have got to take care of business.”

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