Mets place Francisco Lindor on 10-day injured list

Shortstop Francisco Lindor has been placed on the 10-day injured list, the Mets announced. Lindor has been sidelined due to a right oblique strain, a day after he exited a game because of soreness in his side. Infielder/outfielder Travis Blankenhorn has been called up from Triple-A to take Lindor’s spot on the active roster.

Speaking to The Athletic’s Tim Britton and other reporters, Lindor said he has a Grade 2 oblique strain, and indicated that he’ll miss time well beyond the 10-day minimum. “I would love to say I’m day-to-day but I’m not. This is more like week-to-week at the beginning and we’ll see how I bounce back,” Lindor said.

This is only the second time Lindor has been placed on the IL during his seven MLB seasons, as the shortstop’s durability has added to his status as one of the game’s better all-around players during that stretch.

Lindor’s first season in New York, however, has come with some difficulties. After being acquired in a blockbuster trade from the Indians and then signing a whopping 10-year, $341 million contract extension, Lindor has begun his Mets tenure by hitting only .228/.326/.376 in 364 plate appearances. This modest slash line represents a small step down from Lindor’s average numbers in his final season with the Indians — since the start of the 2020 campaign, Lindor has roughly a full season’s worth of playing time (630 PA, 148 games) and delivered an exactly average 100 wRC+ while hitting .241/.330/.393 with 19 home runs.

With an .821 OPS over his last 130 plate appearances, Lindor was starting to heat up at the plate, which surely makes his injury all the more frustrating. It also adds another layer of intrigue to the Mets’ trade-deadline plans, since shortstop could become a need if Lindor is indeed facing a long absence. The Mets were already rumored to be looking at such infielders as Kris Bryant and Asdrubal Cabrera to address a need at third base, and that search could potentially expand to such trade candidates as Trevor Story or Andrelton Simmons. Jonathan Villar, who represents the best in-house shortstop option, has been solid as the Mets’ regular third baseman this year.