New York Mets star Francisco Lindor out of lineup after birth of son

Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor will not start Monday's game following the birth of his son, but he may be available off the bench.

Mar 28, 2025; Houston, TX, USA; New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor (12) smiles during the game against the Houston Astros at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The New York Mets will be without one of their stars, at least to start, in Monday's series opener against the Miami Marlins. 

Four-time All-Star shortstop Francisco Lindor is out of the Mets' lineup following the birth of his son, Koa. Lindor and his wife, Katia, announced the birth in a joint Instagram post shared Monday morning.

Notably, the Mets did not place Lindor on the paternity list, meaning he could rejoin the team at any point during their three-game series in Miami. A couple of hours before Monday's first pitch, manager Carlos Mendoza confirmed that Lindor is expected to be available off the bench.

"I talked to him yesterday when we got the news. Everyone's doing well. I knew right away that he wanted to be here," Mendoza said, adding that he told Lindor to take his time. "He said, 'Not sure what kind of night we're gonna have today, but I'll be there tomorrow,' so I'm expecting him to be here at some point and be a player for us if we need him."

Carlos Mendoza confirms that Francisco Lindor is expected to be available off the bench today after welcoming his newborn Koa yesterday pic.twitter.com/gW5om2lUGG

— SNY (@SNYtv) March 31, 2025

In Lindor's temporary absence, Luisangel Acuña will start at shortstop and bat eighth. Veteran designated hitter Starling Marte is penciled into Lindor's usual leadoff spot against right-hander Cal Quantrill, who has had more success against lefties throughout his career. 

Lindor, 31, went 0-for-11 with three strikeouts and an RBI during the Mets' first three games in Houston. Slow starts are not foreign to the reigning NL MVP runner-up, who began the 2024 campaign in a 1-for-31 slump and has historically improved as the season progresses. 

Read More: Why Mets shouldn’t worry about Francisco Lindor’s quiet spring

With or without Lindor on the field, the Mets will look to jump-start their offense after producing just five runs combined in their opening series against the Astros. New York was held to just one hit—a first-inning double by Juan Soto—in Saturday's 2-1 loss.