“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.”
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.
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.
“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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