Francisco Lindor to Be 'Down for a While,' Mets Manager Talks Star's Injury Timeline in New Update

A rough start to the 2026 season for the New York Mets got even worse on Friday.

Manager Carlos Mendoza told reporters that star shortstop Francisco Lindor was going to be "down for a while" after suffering a calf injury

President of baseball operations David Stearns added that the team should have more clarity on a potential timetable for return in about three weeks:

Lindor, 32, was placed on the 10-day injured list with a left calf strain after exiting Wednesday's 3-2 win over the Minnesota Twins. It was very much a "when it rains, it pours" moment for the Mets, who finally snapped their 12-game losing streak on Wednesday and got Juan Soto back from a calf injury that same day, only to lose Lindor.

"We're athletes," Lindor told reporters. "We depend on our body. Stuff like this happens. It's part of the game. It comes with the territory, and you got to toughen up and try to find a way to get healthy."

Ronny Mauricio will step into the vacancy at shortstop after being called up from Triple-A Syracuse, with Bo Bichette operating as his backup.

"Mauricio's going to get an opportunity here to play," Mendoza told reporters. "Depending on matchups, off days for some of the guys, Bo will slide over at times, but, in the meantime, Mauricio is going to get the majority of the opportunities here."

Lindor wasn't having a great season before the injury, hitting .226 with two homers, five RBI, 14 runs, two stolen bases and a .669 OPS. But it's nonetheless a massive loss for a Mets team (9-16) that is already 8.5 games behind the Atlanta Braves in the NL East.