How Francisco Lindor Looked in Mets' Spring Training Debut

The New York Mets took one step closer to having their Opening Day lineup come together when Francisco Lindor made his Grapefruit League debut on Sunday. Lindor, a notably fast healer, appears to be ahead of schedule after undergoing hamate bone surgery early in camp.

Francisco Lindor gets a big hand from the Clover Park crowd before his first at-bat of the spring 👏 pic.twitter.com/qho2rghCVs
— SNY (@SNYtv) March 15, 2026

The Mets had Lindor lead off and play shortstop. He went 1-for-3 with a single in four innings of work. The single was an absolute rocket for Lindor, who produced 105 mile per hour exit velocity on the hit. This came just one pitch after missing a towering home run foul by a matter of inches.

Francisco Lindor played four innings at shortstop this afternoon, as expected in his Grapefruit League debut. He finished 1-for-3 at the plate with a 105 mph single -- certainly a good sign coming back from hamate surgery. pic.twitter.com/vpSEBe7Xbz
— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) March 15, 2026

President of baseball operations David Stearns previously indicated the need to see Lindor participate in games before clearing him for Opening Day. There had been some speculation that the action could come later on with simulated games if necessary. But Lindor's participation appears to have increased his chances of being ready for the start of the regular season.

Francisco Lindor just smoked a ball a million miles foul.

That's considerably noteworthy since there's a general concern about an absence of power for people who have hamate bone surgery. #Mets
— Michael Baron (@michaelgbaron) March 15, 2026

Lindor Will Likely Stack At-Bats

New York Mets, Francisco Lindor — Mar 15, 2026; Port St. Lucie, Florida, USA; New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor (12) hits a single in the third inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Clover Park. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images | Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

Lindor spoke to The Athletic's Tim Britton last week and indicated that he usually hopes to get between 50-to-60 at-bats in spring training. However, he's willing to make do with less this year. The Mets only have five opportunities for Lindor to play in Grapefruit League games left. It appears unlikely he would get enough at-bats to meet his regular target for spring work.

The important thing is if Lindor comes out of today's game without any soreness from the hamate bone area. Assuming there are no issues, Lindor will likely appear in at least three of the team's five remaining spring games. He could get more work in via sim games to get him a good volume of at-bats.

Lindor also told Britton that he is hoping to feel good about his plate appearances this spring. This is a reasonable goal since it's his first time facing actual competition since the end of the 2025 season. It will be worth monitoring how Lindor performs early, as he has traditionally been a slow starter.

The Mets need him to function as their primary leadoff hitter in their newly reconstructed lineup.

Lindor played part of the 2025 season with a broken pinky toe and underwent a debridement procedure in his right elbow after the campaign. The Mets are hoping Lindor can remain healthy this season.

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