How worrisome is Francisco Lindor's hand injury?

The shortstop underwent surgery on Wednesday. Plus, some other notes as Spring Training officially gets underway

What’s up with the Mets? 🍎

• SS Francisco Lindor underwent surgery for a stress reaction in his left hamate bone - he’s expected to miss around six weeks, per Carlos Mendoza

• Mets pitchers and catchers were in attendance for the first official workout of spring training on Wednesday

---

Rumor Mill 💨

• The Pirates could be willing to trade C Joey Bart (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

---

What I’m Reading 📰

• Why are so many players injuring their hamate bone? (MLB.com)

• Will Francisco Lindor be the same player straightaway after surgery? (MLB.com)

• Kodai Senga is out to prove he can stay healthy for a full season (SNY)

• 5 Mets storylines to watch as spring training begins (SNY)

• Nearly 8 months after a quadruple bypass, Ron Washington is back on the field with the Giants (The Athletic)

• One player to watch in spring training for all 30 MLB teams (ESPN)

---

---

🌴 SPRING TRAINING IS HERE! 🌴

Mets pitchers and catchers are now officially in camp with the first official workout of spring training taking place on Wednesday. The full squad’s first workout is on Monday, February 16th.

---

Just Mets Podcast 🎙️

ICYMI: the Just Mets Podcast is back!

Catch up with Andrew and Rich after their brief break as they recap the last few weeks in Mets news and look ahead to Spring Training.

SUBSCRIBE TO THE JUST METS PODCAST: YouTube | Apple Podcasts | Spotify

---

Opening the spring training notebook ✍️

Corey Sipkin - NY Post

With workouts officially underway for pitchers and catchers, I want to try something a little bit different.

Throughout spring training, I’ll be emptying my notebook and giving my views on the biggest topics of the day.

So, without wasting any more time, let’s dive into some of the talking points that caught my eye the most from Wednesday.

Should we be more worried about Francisco Lindor?

I have heard more about the hamate bone in the last 24 hours than I ever thought I’d hear about it in an entire lifetime.

Not only has Francisco Lindor been impacted by the latest hot new trend in the injury world, but Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll and Orioles infielder Jackson Holliday will also miss time with the same ailment.

Now, we know that Lindor has undergone surgery, and we also know the Mets are still optimistic that he can be in Grapefruit League games sometime in March and be on the field for them on Opening Day, if everything goes well.

Is that really a realistic timeline, though? And, even if he can get back in time for the start of the regular season, will he really be the same player?

Firstly, Holliday has already been ruled out for Opening Day despite the fact that he’s undergoing surgery just a day after Lindor, while Carroll also had surgery on Wednesday but is considered a doubt for the start of the season. Secondly, in a social post put out by ESPN’s Jeff Passan, hitters have detailed how it can take months for their power to return.

We saw that play out with the Mets last year. Francisco Álvarez fractured his left hamate bone last spring, returned after six-and-a-half weeks, but only hit one home run in his first 28 games. That led to a stint in the minor leagues.

I’m not so worried about Lindor’s ability to get back for Opening Day, and the issue with power doesn’t apply for everyone. He’s as tough and as durable as they come, as evidenced by the fact that he’s played 160+ games three out of the last four seasons. What I am concerned about, however, is how effective the shortstop will be once he does return. Starting slow is already somewhat of a Lindor tradition (last year aside), so how will missing all of spring training impact his ability to start fast? There is a world in which Lindor could need extra time to settle into a groove, and that may not exactly help a new-look lineup.

Furthermore, the fact that there is a strong chance Lindor loses some power upon his return could really disrupt what the Mets need in order to have a fast start to the regular season. There are 12 players in Major League Baseball over the past three years who have totaled 95 or more homers, and that includes Lindor, Juan Soto, and Pete Alonso.

With Alonso’s power gone, not to mention Brandon Nimmo’s 25 homers, and with Bo Bichette more of an all-round hitter, the prospect of Lindor struggling for power upon his return should be a legitimate worry. Some may disagree, but I would argue that after the failures of last year, coupled with the fact that both the Phillies and the Braves should be good, the Mets can’t afford to play average baseball for the first couple of months. And having a compromised Lindor with a lack of power could contribute to a slow start.

So, while the Mets remain optimistic, I think we would all be wise to be a little cautious as it pertains to Lindor’s return and what he will look like if he is back by Opening Day.

New York Mets

Top Heavy

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza talked to the media on Wednesday and, outside of confirming that Lindor had undergone surgery, the biggest talking point was his plans for the top of the lineup.

Based on Lindor’s availability for Opening Day, Mendoza plans to have the shortstop leading off with Soto hitting second, Bichette batting third, and Jorge Polanco potentially batting cleanup. At first glance, that’s a really well-balanced and potent top four. We’ve seen what Lindor can do in the leadoff spot, Soto and Bichette back-to-back will give opposing pitchers absolute nightmares, and Polanco has some potential to do some damage in the cleanup spot if he can match his .495 slugging percentage from last year. Maybe if Lindor isn’t ready for Opening Day, you could slot Bichette into the leadoff spot.

Another interesting nugget from Mendoza was the admission that Bichette will be kept at third base throughout spring training.

That’s smart given that the two-time All-Star needs to get as many reps at the hot corner as possible. However, if Lindor suffers a setback in his recovery and isn’t ready for the start of the season, I’d move Bichette to shortstop and put either Brett Baty or Mark Vientos at third until Lindor is healthy. I know the Mets have a bunch of internal options that can play shortstop, but I’d feel more comfortable with a real proven commodity there in Lindor’s absence. Again, I really don’t think the Mets can afford to start slow this year and if Lindor isn’t available, I’d much rather go with the safe option in Bichette at shortstop.

Robert Sabo - NY Post

X-Factors

Kodai Senga spoke to reporters on Wednesday about his tough run with the Mets and the importance of staying healthy. Look, you don’t need me to be Captain Obvious and tell you that Senga being able to provide a full season of starts would raise the ceiling of the rotation. You don’t need a whole lot of brain cells to be able to work that one out.

Senga pitching to the level he did in 2023 would of course help to brighten the overall picture for this team in 2026. But, again, Senga staying healthy and consistent is a huge question mark at this point.

Instead, could Christian Scott be a potential X-Factor for this rotation if Senga can’t put it all together?

You will be forgiven if you haven’t thought about Scott for a hot minute. He missed the entire 2025 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery just nine games into his major league career, in which he pitched to a 4.56 ERA. Now back and throwing bullpens, Scott will be a really interesting name to watch throughout spring training. He showed some positives in his first nine starts, and his fastball and elite command could both be lethal weapons at the highest level. He also didn’t walk a lot of guys (he owned a 6.1% walk rate in nine games).

Granted, Scott will likely begin the year in Triple-A and he will need some more seasoning after so long out. But, if Senga or anyone else in that rotation struggles, maybe Scott could return and be a really effective starter at the backend of the rotation. Failing that, maybe the 26-year-old could be a useful weapon out of the bullpen. He has the potential to be an elite multi-innings reliever given his stuff, and that could give the Mets a real edge down the stretch and into any potential playoff or pennant races.

Either way, I think Scott is a potential X-Factor that we should be paying a lot more attention to this spring.

---

Around the League 🚩

• RHP Chris Bassitt and the Orioles are reportedly in agreement on a one-year, $18.5 million contract (ESPN)

• Diamondbacks OF Corbin Caroll underwent surgery on a broken hamate bone in his right hand and is questionable for Opening Day (ESPN)

• The Nationals signed RHP Miles Mikolas to a one-year deal (Yahoo Sports)

• LHP John King and the Miami Marlins reportedly came to agreement on a one-year, $1.5 million deal (ESPN)

• The Brewers signed veteran C Gary Sánchez to a one-year, $1.75 million contract (NY Post)

• The Dodgers reportedly signed RHP Evan Phillips to a one-year, $6.5 million contract (ESPN)