The Mets turbulent season is over, but many bizarre narratives from the 2021 campaign will live on, including the infamous rat/raccoon tale told by Francisco Lindor and Jeff McNeil.
Now, nearly six months removed from the incident, what really happened has reportedly come to light.
First, to recap: Lindor and McNeil, at the time double play partners in New York’s middle infield, had run into problems against the Cubs earlier in the season before taking on Arizona on May 7, when McNeil ranged too close to Lindor on a ground ball and had to duck to avoid Lindor’s throw to first, causing a brief hesitation from Lindor, helping Nick Ahmed beat out the throw. Once the inning concluded, there was a commotion down the Mets’ dugout steps heading into the clubhouse, and teammates quickly rushed down the steps to respond. After New York won in walk-off fashion over the Diamondbacks, both Lindor and McNeil said they had saw an animal in the tunnel, and were arguing over whether they had just saw a rat or a raccoon.
Well, according to Mike Puma of the New York Post, they were definitely arguing, but there was no animal involved.
According to Puma, tension had been building between the two for weeks as a result of their lack of defensive chemistry, and once they disappeared into the dugout tunnel, Lindor put his hands around McNeil’s neck and pinned him against the wall before teammates intervened to prevent it from escalating any further.
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Per Puma, McNeil’s defensive gaffes were related to his “dismissive attitude” towards his positioning in the infield, which often went against manager Luis Rojas and the team’s plan. This frustrated Lindor and Rojas, who, according to Puma, threatened to bench McNeil if he didn’t get on board.
The Mets eventually traded for Lindor’s close friend Javier Baez, who became his new double play partner.
The two teammates reportedly resolved their differences, though injuries likely played a part, with both Lindor and McNeil missing nearly a month each at separate times, diminishing their playing time together before Baez arrived.
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