Why the best version of Francisco Lindor may be on the way in this new Mets era
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. − Francisco Lindor felt some pain in his right elbow on a swing early in spring training in 2023. The swelling never came down from that point forward.
Despite the lingering inflammation, the Mets shortstop steered clear of an MRI or X-ray for fear of what the imaging might reveal. He went on to notch a .254/.336/.470 slash line with 31 home runs, 98 RBI, 108 runs, 33 doubles and 31 stolen bases — the fourth player in Mets history to post a 30-30-30 campaign.
"Throughout the year, it just got heavier and heavier," Lindor said Thursday at camp. "It’s part of being a professional athlete. You have your aches and pains, but you manage them."
After the season, an MRI revealed a bone spur in his elbow and Lindor underwent surgery on Oct. 10. Now, one season after winning a Silver Slugger and finishing ninth in NL MVP voting in spite of the discomfort he was feeling, Lindor feels healthier.
"Every year is a little different," Lindor said. "I feel healthy. I feel good. I feel like I’m in a good spot."
Lindor played in 160 of the Mets' 162 games during the 2023 season. The two absences were a result of right side soreness, snapping a streak of 223 consecutive games played. For first-year Mets manager Carlos Mendoza, that durability and resilience stands up as one of Lindor's best leadership qualities.
"That goes to show you the type of player is, the type of person he is and what he’s trying to do for his team," Mendoza said. "He said it, he played through some pain last year and he got through it and he was still able to perform and put the season in he was able to put in. I’m excited to have him on our team."
That carried over into the offseason as Lindor hosted Brett Baty and Mark Vientos at Montverde Academy near Orlando to begin to prepare for 2024. And Lindor also landed in the Clover Park spring training complex before the official report date for pitchers and catchers.
"He’s trying to help these kids, he’s trying to help the whole team, and he’s not afraid to have conversations," Mendoza said. "He’s not afraid to bring guys in and work with them and share his thoughts on some of the things they need to be working on.
"He went through it. At some point in his career, he was a young player and then he came over to New York and it’s an adjustment period."
Those are the qualities in what Mendoza appreciates in his star shortstop, who is entering the third year of the $341 million contract he signed in 2021 to become the face of the franchise.
And heading into a season in which the Mets front office did not spend as frivolously as they had in the previous two campaigns, Lindor is undeterred. He's reveling in his position to teach the franchise's young generation and continuing to set his goals high for the upcoming season.
The underdog label does not fit Lindor's mindset. And a fresh bill of health could spring him further forward.
"Whatever people have in their mind, I have my own expectations for myself and for the team," Lindor said. "At the end of the day, I’m just going to go out there and push it day in and day out, be Francisco Lindor and be the best version of myself and push the team to strive for good days every single day."
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Francisco Lindor: NY Mets star returns from offseason elbow surgery
