Francisco Lindor doesn’t appear to be going anywhere.
Speaking with reporters before Friday’s game against the San Francisco Giants, New York Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns made it clear that Lindor will be the Mets’ starting shortstop in 2027. Stearns also added that he is not worried about the All-Star’s rough year defensively.
“No question,” Stearns said. “Certainly a few more mistakes than we’re accustomed to seeing.”
“I think a lot of the underlying stuff is still pretty good. And uncharacteristically, he just hasn’t completed a lot of the plays that he normally completes. I really don’t think there’s anything more in there than that,” he added.
It has been a frustrating season for Lindor, who turns 33 years old in November. Entering Friday, he’s appeared in just 83 games this season for New York after missing two months with a left calf strain. In those 83 games, Lindor is slashing just .231/.316/.424 with 15 home runs, 36 RBI and a .740 OPS.
That injury for Lindor also comes after he underwent a right elbow debridement procedure shortly after last season ended, as well as undergoing surgery to repair a fractured hamate bone that nearly kept him out all of spring training.
However, Lindor has played much more like his normal self since the All-Star break. He’s batting .244 with 10 home runs, 24 RBI, and a .802 OPS in 43 games.
The five-time All-Star’s defense, which Stearns alluded to, has been the biggest concern for Lindor this season. The typically reliable shortstop has committed 10 errors across 708.1 innings, including -5 Defensive Runs Saved, -2 Outs Above Average and a -1 Fielding Run Value.
Despite being ranked in the bottom 10 among MLB shortstops in all four of those categories, Stearns firmly believes Lindor will return to his old self at shortstop.
“I think we’re going to be looking at a shortstop next year who completes those plays at the rate we’re usually seeing him complete. So I’m not concerned about that one,” Stearns said.
Lindor is signed with the Mets through 2031, and he and Stearns look determined to bounce back next season in what has been a frustrating 2026 campaign in Flushing.
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