Video: Mets, Nationals Benches Clear After Francisco Lindor Takes Pitch to Face

Benches cleared during the fifth inning of the New York Mets at Washington Nationals game on Friday evening after Nats relief pitcher Steve Cishek hit Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor in the face with a pitch.

Lindor got up after a brief moment. He appeared dazed and spoke with some Mets and Nationals players who appeared to ask how he was doing as other team members went face-to-face in the infield.

ESPN's Jeff Passan provided an update on Lindor's condition later in the evening:

As noted by James Wagner of the New York Times, the Lindor hit-by-pitch marked the fourth time a Met has been hit by a National pitch in just 14 innings of play this season.

It also marked the second time a Met was hit up high, as Mason Thompson drilled first baseman Pete Alonso with a pitch that hit him in the shoulder before deflecting onto his face.

Alonso, who returned to the lineup after leaving Thursday's game following the hit-by-pitch, showed a picture of the damage postgame.

It didn't appear that Thompson (or Cishek) purposely hit Mets players, nor would they seemingly have any apparent reason to do so.

However, Cishek was ejected without warning following the Lindor hit-by-pitch, and Sean Doolittle took over on the mound. 

The Mets and Nationals were each playing their second game of the 2022 season. New York beat Washington 5-1 at Nationals Park the night before.