Mets' Francisco Lindor Shares Update on Opening Day Status

As Opening Day rapidly approaches, the status of New York Mets' star shortstop Francisco Lindor remains in question.

With just two weeks left before the start of the regular season and Lindor only 27 days removed from surgery on his left hand, the veteran infielder continues to work through his rehab process but has yet to suit up in a spring training game. Hamate injuries are known to linger, with general return timelines falling anywhere between four and eight weeks, while a full recovery of strength and power can take multiple months.

But Lindor, who has earned a reputation as one of the league's toughest and most durable stars, still has his eyes on March 26th against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The organization has been adamant from the moment that Lindor's injury was announced that there would be a good chance for him to work himself back into the Opening Day lineup. With no setbacks so far, both Carlos Mendoza and David Stearns continue to share this belief, with Stearns taking to the podium on Monday to discuss the necessary but feasible steps for the 32-year-old infielder to return.

After participating in practice on Tuesday, Lindor was asked if he shares Stearns' confidence that he will be ready to go on Opening Day.

"Yeah, I share his confidence for sure," Lindor said. "Our training staff is really good. They've been doing everything possible... they are getting me right, day in and day out. So, I trust them, I trust the process. They've been through this a lot of times, and they say I'll be ready for Opening Day, I believe them. I am very optimistic, hopefully everything here goes the right way, and we'll see where we are at."

Francisco Lindor reiterates his confidence that he'll be ready to go on Opening Day pic.twitter.com/VtMWNY6iKU
— SNY (@SNYtv) March 10, 2026

Francisco Lindor Remains Confident About Opening Day Return

Despite the magnitude of the story, the Mets have been relatively quiet about the specifics of Lindor's timetable outside of the fact that they expect to have him for Opening Day. In his comments on Tuesday, Stearns did offer the stipulation that he will have to see game action during spring training first before they can pencil him into the lineup. But based on Lindor's statement, everything appears to be on track for him to get involved some time over the next two weeks.

David Stearns says the Mets remain optimistic about Francisco Lindor's ability to play on Opening Day:

"All indications we have is this is going as planned" pic.twitter.com/tPrmBKJncH
— SNY (@SNYtv) March 9, 2026

It is also a positive sign that Lindor, Stearns, and Mendoza have all been very much aligned in their assessment of the rehab process. The 11-year veteran has now started participating in fielding drills as well as facing live batting practice among other baseball activities. As long as this continues to go smoothly, it could be very soon that Lindor dips his toe into a live game.

Stearns did point out that Lindor's return does not necessarily have to occur in a scheduled Grapefruit League game, and could instead come in the form of a simulated game to catch him up to speed. Regardless, the five-time All-Star should not need much of an adjustment period to be ready for MLB action, and the track record of toughness and determination should tell the full story when speculating on his return.

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