The New York Mets are putting the finishing touches on their preparations for the upcoming 2026 campaign. While the team still needs to welcome some players back from the World Baseball Classic, all eyes have been on one guy who was unable to participate in the tournament due to injury: Francisco Lindor.
Back in February, Lindor suffered a fractured left hamate bone that threw his status for the start of the 2026 season up in the air. Despite that, Lindor has been aggressively attacking his injury rehab, and he has publicly said he expects to be ready to go for the start of the year. On Sunday afternoon, it looks like Lindor will be taking a big step towards convincing the Mets he is healthy enough to play on Opening Day.
Francisco Lindor Set to Make Spring Training Debut for Mets
Ever since finding his way to the majors in 2015 with the Cleveland Indians, Lindor has been one of the most consistent players in the league. That has continued during his five-season stint with the Mets, as Lindor has played in at least 150 games in four of his first five years with the team. Furthermore, when he’s been on the field, he has remained an All-Star caliber player.
Lindor earned his first All-Star selection during his time with New York in 2025, as he hit .267 with 31 home runs, 86 RBIs, and 31 stolen bases. With guys like Pete Alonso and Brandon Nimmo no longer in town, Lindor is going to have to shoulder a bigger workload at the plate this year for the Mets.
In order to do that, he has to be on the field, though. The fractured hamate bone Lindor suffered seemed to throw a wrench in his plans to be ready for the start of the season, but in typical fashion, he has breezed through his recovery process to this point. And now, he’s going to be playing his first Spring Training game, as he’s in the Mets’ lineup for their upcoming game against the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday afternoon.
“Francisco Lindor in today’s lineup for the Mets,” Mike Puma of the New York Post shared in a post on X.
Mets Hoping Francisco Lindor is Ready for Opening Day
GettyFrancisco Lindor believes he’ll be ready to go for the Mets on Opening Day
The last major step Lindor has to take in his rehab process is playing in a game, so the fact that he’s getting into the action before Spring Training wraps up is huge. Assuming he suffers no setbacks between now and the start of the season, Lindor should be in the Mets’ Opening Day lineup on Mar. 26.
It’s important not to put too much stock in Spring Training, but you can bet fans will be keeping close tabs on Lindor over the next week or so to see how he fares in his first live game action of the year. He may be a bit rusty at first, but once he gets his legs back underneath, it will be fair to expect Lindor to return to his usual high level of play for New York.
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