The Mets announced that Francisco Lindor is undergoing surgery on his hand today to address the hamate issue that became public knowledge yesterday. As David Stearns had said in giving that update, the expected recovery timeline for Lindor is six weeks. The Mets’ 2026 season begins six weeks from tomorrow.
It goes without saying that Lindor is crucial to the Mets’ success, as he’s been the team’s best player over the past several years. And even with the addition of Juan Soto last year, Lindor was the team’s best player by fWAR, albeit by a relatively small margin, while he slightly trailed Soto in bWAR.
If Lindor’s recovery goes smoothly and he is ready to play on Opening Day, the time he misses in spring training shouldn’t be a major problem. If there are delays, though, it’ll be interesting to see what the Mets do at shortstop in the early part of the season. The team has several players who have played short in the past, but whether or not any of them are ideal substitutes for Lindor is another matter.