Mets’ Francisco Lindor Struggles with Defense and Offense Early in the Season

Francisco Lindor is experiencing an unusual start to the season with the Mets, marked by a series of defensive missteps and mental errors that have raised eyebrows. In Saturday’s 11-6 loss to the Athletics, Lindor added to his troubles with a costly defensive blunder in the second inning. With the bases loaded and one out in a tie game, Kodai Senga, despite not being at his best, induced a ground ball that should have set the stage for a double play.

As Marcus Semien fielded the ball, Lindor inexplicably moved to his right instead of breaking towards second base to secure the force out. Semien had to step on second himself, narrowly beating the runner, but was unable to complete the play at first, allowing a run to score. After the game, Lindor reflected on the miscommunication, stating, “I went after the ball and Marcus was there and I didn’t make it to second base and we didn’t turn a double play. Senga could’ve got out of the inning right there and I didn’t help him.”

This incident is not an isolated one for Lindor, a five-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove winner. Just the night before, he was thrown out at third base after straying too far off the bag on a grounder to first, all while the Mets trailed 1-0 late in the game. These lapses, combined with his struggles at the plate, have led to a concerning start for the shortstop.

“It’s weird because that’s not him,” said manager Carlos Mendoza, acknowledging the puzzling nature of Lindor’s recent play. “He’ll be the first one to tell you that he has to be better. Never seen some of those plays where he’s just out of position sometimes.” Lindor himself is at a loss, insisting he feels “locked in” despite the mounting mistakes.

With Juan Soto sidelined due to a calf injury, questions arise about whether Lindor is feeling increased pressure. However, Mendoza dismissed this notion, asserting, “He’s the same guy. He shows up, he prepares. He works as hard as anybody, he wants to win. I don’t think it has to do with who’s in the lineup and who’s not.”

Offensively, Lindor’s struggles have mirrored his defensive issues. He is currently slashing .167/.296/.250, with no home runs and zero RBIs. Historically, Lindor has been known to start slowly, but his recent performance raises concerns. Since Soto’s placement on the injured list, Lindor has not recorded a single walk and has managed just five hits in 33 at-bats.

“He’s been through it before,” Mendoza acknowledged. “This is a guy who is very streaky and he’s gotten off to starts like this. It’s just hard to explain right now.” Despite his current challenges, Lindor maintains a three-game hit streak and expresses optimism, saying, “I feel like I’m trending in the right direction.”

Mendoza remains hopeful that the mental errors will soon be addressed. “We’re better than that and they know that… making errors and mental mistakes. We’re better than that. We gotta fix it and we will,” he stated confidently.

Note: This recap is an independently written summary based on publicly available reporting.