Francisco Lindor was running in the outfield in Philadelphia prior to the Mets' pivotal game against the Phillies on Saturday afternoon, but the shortstop still has no answer for when he will be available to return from his strained oblique.
"I don't know," Lindor said. "I don't know, man, I really don't. I'm sorry, I just don't know."
Acting general manager Zack Scott told reporters just after the trade deadline that he anticipated a mid-to-late August return for Lindor, but both Lindor and manager Luis Rojas aren't ready to put a timeline on his recovery. Rojas doubled down on that on Saturday after recently saying that Lindor was taking things on a week-to-week basis.
"I know we gave a timeline initially, I think they said four weeks, I think it was Zack that talked about the four weeks," Rojas said. "We're still seeing how he responds. At this point, he's gong well.
"I had a conversation with him earlier after he did some of the stuff this morning. He told me he's feeling more and more confident each time, but he still has a lot to do. Got to swing against coaches, swing against a machine, and gotta do some more game-speed defensive stuff that he hasn't done yet. This week we're gonna aim at that. Then we'll see how he responds and go from there."
Lindor has struggled offensively for much of the season, but the Mets as a whole have been struggling badly without him, as the superstar has been forced to watch from the dugout while New York has lost its hold on first place in the NL East for the first time in three months.
"It sucks," Lindor said. "I want to be there and help them out. I want to do whatever it takes. I want to grind with them on a daily basis. They're working extremely hard, they're playing hard, I feel like they're giving it everything they've got. It's just we're not getting the results we want to get."
While there is still no timeline for a return, Lindor is feeling better and starting on-field workouts, which is a step in the right direction. Given how well he was hitting before the injury, batting .353 in his last 11 games, New York could desperately use his bat back in the lineup.
"I feel good, thank God," Lindor said. "I can't complain. The trainers and coaching staff are doing a great job of pushing me and helping me get better on a daily basis, so I'm happy."
Follow WFAN on Social Media
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | Twitch
