Mets' Francisco Lindor gets candid about struggles in the field

Francisco Lindor's defensive struggles proved costly in Tuesday's loss to the Minnesota Twins.

Apr 15, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor (12) forces out Minnesota Twins left fielder Harrison Bader (12) at second base and throws the ball to first base for a double play in the fourth inning at Target Field. All players wore #42 for Jackie Robinson Day Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images | Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

Francisco Lindor's early-season offensive struggles are the norm, but now there have been costly miscues in the field from the four-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove Award winner.

During the third inning of the New York Mets' loss to the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday, Lindor booted what appeared to be a tailor-made double-play ground ball. The flub allowed a run to score, followed by a second run to put the Mets behind 2-1; Minnesota went on to win the game 6-3.

After the game, Lindor was upfront about his uncharacteristic woes in the field.

"Today my eyes got a little blurry because of the weather but it’s unacceptable. What’s happening right now is unacceptable," Lindor said. "I gotta be better. It's not to the standards the Mets have, it's definitely not to the standard I have for myself. It's been two games already that cost the team."

"It's unacceptable what's happening right now. It's unacceptable. I gotta be better. It's not to the standards the Mets have, it's definitely not to the standard I have for myself. It's been 2 games already that cost the team"

- Francisco Lindor on his errors pic.twitter.com/vEk7lU0VVe

— SNY (@SNYtv) April 16, 2025

Lindor also had two errors in the Mets' 4-2 loss to the Miami Marlins on April 1. He leads the league in errors at his position with four, and his fielding percentage of .939 is well below the league average at shortstop of .975. In sharp contrast, Lindor committed only 12 errors last season for a .979 fielding percentage, and his career fielding percentage of .980 is well above the league average.

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Mets manager Carlos Mendoza isn't worried about Lindor's struggles, noting "He's too good of a player. They're human, they're gonna make mistakes. I'll take my chances with him anytime."

"That's a play he makes 100 out of 100. Just didn't happen today"

Carlos Mendoza talked about Francisco Lindor's error today and his 4 on the season:

"He'll get over there. He's too good of a player. I'll take my chances with him any time" pic.twitter.com/J1Ncqdmb1H

— SNY (@SNYtv) April 16, 2025

To make matters worse, Lindor went 1-for-5 at the plate and struck out in the ninth inning with two runners in scoring position. He currently has a slash line of .219/.274/.328 with one home run and six RBI for the season.

The good news is that Lindor has a proven track record, and the Mets are sitting on top of the NL East with an 11-6 record despite his early struggles.