Mets' Francisco Lindor Has Surgery on Elbow Injury; Expected to Be Ready by Spring

Francisco Lindor addressed an elbow injury early in the offseason.

The New York Mets announced that the shortstop underwent surgery to remove a bone spur from his right elbow on Tuesday. The 29-year-old is expected to be healthy and available at the start of spring training.

New York was arguably the most disappointing team in baseball at 75-87 this season, but Lindor was a bright spot.

He appeared in 160 games and slashed .254/.336/.470 with 31 home runs, 98 RBI and 31 stolen bases. His wins above replacement total of 6.0, per Baseball Reference, was the second-best mark of his career behind only his 7.2 tally in 2018 when he was an All-Star for Cleveland.

Lindor did it all while dealing with the injury, as Andy Martino of SNY reported he "first felt the effects of the bone spur in his right elbow during spring training. The discomfort lingered through the season, but he did not want to make it public, or stop playing."

Having Lindor healthy is important for both the short- and long-term future of the Mets.

After all, he is under contract through the 2031 season and figures to be one of the faces of the franchise for years to come. The 2024 campaign will be an important year for the team in that long-term deal, as it will be one of significant change.

General manager Billy Eppler resigned, while the Mets fired manager Buck Showalter.

It remains to be seen how aggressive the front office is in free agency considering the team's lackluster showing in 2023 despite having the highest payroll in the league, which could put more onus on Lindor and other incumbent players to produce at a higher level.

It seems like the four-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove winner will be good to go once the pressure-packed season begins despite undergoing surgery.