Francisco Lindor is back in the Mets lineup after an absence of more than a month, and it comes at a time where New York could desperately use a spark.
"It's huge that we're having him back," manager Luis Rojas said. "Having his presence on the field is something that we missed for over a month now. His energy, his bat, his defense, everything he brings to help the team win games, it's been hard to be out there without his presence."
Despite struggling at the plate for much of the season, Lindor has been praised by teammates and coaches for his leadership in the dugout and the infield, where he has remained a steady defender despite his prolonged slump with the bat.
"I know a lot of guys are better because he's there," Rojas said. "We play good defense and play well in other areas, we just haven't been hutting as much., I know the other day he said he hasn't hit like he's expected to or how we expected him to hit this season, but he's a guy who you can count on his bat…he's going to do something in the game to help others."
Lindor picked up his offensive production considerably before his oblique injury, batting .353 with a 1.019 OPS in his last 44 plate appearances, and even if it takes time for him to get back in a groove at the plate, he has shown an ability to consistently get on base and work tough at-bats even when he isn't dialed in, which is a welcomed sight for a Mets lineup that has struggled badly over the last month.
"Even if he doesn't get the hit or a good outcome in his at-bat, he's a guy that's gonna be a presence in our lineup batting in the first three, and the opposing pitcher has to prepare to pitch to a guy like Lindor," Rojas said. "If he's surrounded by Alonso, Baez, Conforto, those guys can definitely benefit from having Lindor in there."
Lindor didn't go on a rehab assignment despite not playing since July 16, so Rojas and the Mets will monitor their star shortstop closely to see how he moves and responds after Tuesday's return. But Rojas is confident that Lindor is back and ready to be a regular contributor to the team's stretch run, which will either result in an inspired comeback or a continued fade.
"We'll check how things are, but the work we did with him was actually a lot more than he would do in the game, and going day-to-day to see how his body felt, which is not only the oblique…we simulated it, but this is the real deal," Rojas said. "How he feels after this game will determine what things we do with him tomorrow."
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