The New York Mets have missed their de facto captain for much of this season.
That, of course, is Francisco Lindor, who has been on the injured list for two months with a left calf strain. While New York has had to deal with a plethora of other injuries that further derailed their disappointing season, Lindor's absence has been especially brutal.
Prior to the start of this season, Lindor had missed just 52 games over his first five seasons in Flushing. But since going down with his calf injury, the All-Star is now on the verge of missing his 53rd game of the year.
But after playing in his second rehab game on Sunday for Triple-A Syracuse, Lindor is now "getting close" to his long awaited return to the Mets, according to manager Carlos Mendoza, who met with reporters prior to Sunday's game against the Philadelphia Phillies.
The 32-year-old played the entire game on Sunday for Syracuse, going 0-for-4 with a walk, a stolen base and a run scored.
After concluding their series tonight against the Phillies, the Mets are slated to begin a seven-game homestand on Monday. New York could wait until Wednesday or so to activate their shortstop, given that he played in his first nine inning game since April.
Before landing on the injured list, Lindor was starting to heat up at the plate after his typical slow start. Over his last five games, Lindor went 7-for-15 with a home run and four RBI.
On the season, he is slashing .226/.314/.355 with two home runs, five RBI and a .669 OPS in 24 games.
While the Mets remain in the cellar in the NL East standings, perhaps Lindor's pending return could light a spark for a lineup that has lacked consistency for much of this season. The Amazins' are also just 5.5 games out of the third and final Wild Card spot in the National League.
