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How Francisco Lindor's perplexing play has Mets searching for answers
TL;DR
Francisco Lindor's recent performance has left the Mets struggling, as he fails to deliver both offensively and defensively. His misplay during a crucial inning contributed to the team's ongoing challenges.
NEW YORK — Francisco Lindor is as baffled as everyone else.
The shortstop is supposed to serve as the Mets' spark plug, igniting the Mets' offense out of the leadoff spot. On the diamond, he is supposed to provide Gold Glove caliber defense and a sense of calm.
Right now, Lindor is offering neither of those and the Mets are suffering in the process.
Saturday afternoon was the latest example in the midst of a momentum-diffusing inning for the Mets. After the Mets took an early 1-0 lead, snapping a 17-inning scoreless drought in the process, Kodai Senga was teetering, walking in the tying run with the bases loaded.
The veteran right-hander induced a chopper from Lawrence Butler to the right of second base, but Lindor backed up Marcus Semien rather than covering the base and it cost Senga a potential inning-ending double play as the go-ahead run scored.
New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor (12) on the field before the game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on April 9, 2026, at Citi Field.
"He’s one of the best second baseman in the game, and I should have expected he was going to be there," Lindor said. "I went after the baseball and no, there was no miscommunication at all."
Lindor's miscalculation was the latest in a collection of sloppy mistakes for Senga and the Mets, who bungled through an unkempt opening three innings defensively, leading to seven Athletics runs and ultimately an 11-6 loss in front of 38,244 restless fans at Citi Field.
The contest opened with an error by rookie Carson Benge, who misplayed a bouncing ball in left field, allowing Lawrence Butler to scamper to second base. Senga managed to work through that mishap.
Senga's wavering command, paired with Lindor's misstep, gave the Athletics the lead. And matters got worse in the third inning Tyler Soderstrom belted his first of two home runs in the game. Marcus Semien and Mark Vientos could not glove a pair of ground balls on the infield and Carlos Cortes capitalized with three-run blast.
The six-run deficit was almost entirely self-inflicted.
"We’re better than that and they know that," Carlos Mendoza said. "They’ll be the first one to tell you. Making errors and mental mistakes, and we’re better than that and we’ve got to fix it. We’ve got to fix it and we will."
For Lindor, the latest mistakes continued a run of lapsed judgement and dubious defense.
New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor (12) commits a fielding error during the second inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks on April 7, 2026, at Citi Field.
On Friday night, Lindor was caught flat-footed at second base on a potential double play ball by Nick Curtz, who beat the throw. The A's scored the go-ahead run later in the inning. He was also picked off at third on a sharp ground ball as he drew a throw across the diamond.
But there have been other examples throughout the season. He forgot how many outs there were in the first inning against the Cardinals and leisurely stepped on second base. He was also picked off first base in that series. He made his first error of the season on April 7 on an in-between chopper up the middle.
"This is weird because that’s not him. It’s hard to explain," Mendoza said. "He’ll be the first one – he’ll tell you that he has to be better. But yeah, never seen some of those plays that he’s just out of position at times."
It is equally confounding to Lindor, who Mendoza said "works as hard as anybody."
"I’m not sure. I feel like I’m locked in," Lindor said. "I feel like I’m in the game. Just happens. Got to be better."
Those uncharacteristic misgivings have accentuated another slow start at the plate. Following a 1-for-5 effort on Saturday with one run and two strikeouts, Lindor is now 10-for-60 (.167) with 10 runs, one double, two triples and no home runs or RBI and a .546 OPS
In Lindor's eyes, the uneven start is not a result of pressure. "I’ve always put a lot of pressure on myself because I expect a lot out of myself."
New York Mets infielder Francisco Lindor (12) looks on while batting against the San Francisco Giants during the first inning on April 2, 2026, at Oracle Park.
It's not that he missed almost all of spring training following hamate bone surgery. "I’m a professional baseball player, and I just got to be better."
But whatever has seeped into Lindor's leaky play needs to be corrected for the Mets to correct course, particularly if they're hoping to leave 2025's misgivings in the past.
"This is not the same team, and even if it was, it’s a whole new year," Lindor said. "We have new opportunities, we just have to finish the job day in and day out, and I got to be better."
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: How Francisco Lindor's perplexing play has Mets searching for answers
Q&A
What specific mistake did Francisco Lindor make during the game?
Francisco Lindor backed up Marcus Semien instead of covering second base, which cost the Mets a potential inning-ending double play.
How has Francisco Lindor's performance affected the Mets' season?
Lindor's struggles have contributed to the Mets' overall difficulties, impacting both their offensive output and defensive reliability.
What was the Mets' situation before Lindor's misplay?
Before Lindor's misplay, the Mets had taken a 1-0 lead and were looking to end a 17-inning scoreless drought.
Who was pitching when Lindor made the critical error?
Kodai Senga was pitching when Lindor made the critical error that allowed the go-ahead run to score.
