The New York Mets continue to battle significant injury issues throughout the early part of the 2026 MLB season. Entering Monday’s game against the Washington Nationals at 20-26 and in last place in the National League East, Injuries and inconsistencies for several key contributors have continued creating major problems for New York.
Despite shelling out massive contracts to players such as infielder Bo Bichette and shortstop Francisco Lindor, the Mets and their extensive payroll have yet to yield positive results. Throughout the early part of the season, New York has fielded one of the worst offenses in baseball, currently ranked 27th in both total runs and batting average, while carrying the worst OPS in baseball.
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One of the organization’s biggest concerns remains the status of superstar shortstop Francisco Lindor, who has been sidelined since he suffered a calf injury on April 22 against the Minnesota Twins. According to MLB Network’s Jon Heyman, the Mets believe Lindor may be able to return in a month, but they still have no official timetable for his return.
“Mets have hope star SS Francisco Lindor (calf) may be back in about a month, though they aren’t putting a timetable on it. No timetable on Polanco or Robert Jr.,” Heyman shared on X.
Prior to the injury, Lindor had been having a disappointing season. The 32-year-old five-time All-Star was batting a career low .226 AVG with an OPS of .669, hitting only two home runs in 24 games.
Heyman also noted that the Mets still do not have clear return timelines for veteran infielder Jorge Polanco or outfielder Luis Robert Jr., adding to the organization’s growing list of injury concerns.
With several important contributors sidelined and the offense continuing to stall, the Mets will likely need improved health across the roster in order to turn their season around.
New York begins a four-game away series in Washington on Monday.
