Francisco Lindor to miss rest of series; earliest return Tuesday

NEW YORK — Francisco Lindor wasn’t in the New York Mets’ lineup for the sixth straight game Saturday as he continues to deal with a back injury — and it won’t be the last time he misses a game in 2024.

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said the earliest Lindor will return is Tuesday against the Atlanta Braves, meaning he’ll also miss Sunday’s series finale against the Philadelphia Phillies before the club’s off day Monday.

A return Tuesday, however, is far from guaranteed. Lindor on Friday said he received a facet injection in his lower back Thursday to treat the pain in hopes of accelerating the healing. Neither Lindor nor the Mets have specified what exactly is ailing Lindor, only calling it a lower back injury.

Lindor took batting practice Friday for the first time since leaving Sunday’s game in Philadelphia. The session was brief. He also played catch. He returned to the field pregame Saturday for more batting practice and baseball activities.

“Hopefully it’s a little bit more than what he did yesterday,” Mendoza said. “He’s going to try to play catch and run some sprints, take BP and then maybe some ground balls and see what we got after that.”

Mendoza said the team is not considering having Lindor return as a designated hitter — at least for now. J.D. Martinez, the team’s everyday DH, is 0 for his last 31 and was given Saturday off.

“We’re looking at him being a full player for us because I don’t think it’s just playing shortstop,” Mendoza said. “The rotation, running the bases, getting out of the box. And DHing he’s going to have to hit and then sit down and somehow he’s going to have to try to stay hot. We haven’t gotten to that point. But the way we see it is, when he’s ready to go, he’s playing shortstop for us.”

Lindor, 30, started 147 of the Mets’ first 148 games. He’s batting .271 with 31 home runs, 27 steals and an .836 OPS to go with elite defense at shortstop. The reliable production has made him a long-shot NL MVP contender behind heavy favorite Shohei Ohtani.

Mendoza also said it’s “safe to say” that right-hander Paul Blackburn, who has been out with a spinal fluid leak in his back, won’t return for the regular season. Blackburn has begun throwing from 90 feet to start a progression for a possible return, which wouldn’t happen until the postseason.

Blackburn, 30, was acquired at the trade deadline from the Oakland Athletics. He tallied a 5.18 ERA in five starts for New York before being shut down.

The Mets entered Saturday two games ahead of the Braves for the final National League wild-card spot.