3 NY Mets players whose leash gets extended with the Francisco Lindor injury

Francisco Lindor is officially headed to the IL and Ronny Mauricio comes up to replace him. How the New York Mets align their defense and bats in the next 10+ days will be dependent on performance. They’ve swapped number one and nine hitters at times. They’re willing to do just about anything.

The “just about anything” applies to sending players packing. David Stearns’ quick trigger finger is alive and well this year, already DFA’ing Richard Lovelady and Luis Garcia early on. If not for Lindor’s injury, we might’ve seen the Mets inch closer to another move.

With Lindor out, these three teammates have bought themselves an extended leash to figure things out before they’re either released or demoted.

The Francisco Lindor injury gives these three Mets more time to figure it out

1) Tommy Pham

Tommy Pham wasn’t the jolt soda the Mets needed in their lineup after all. Practically forgotten already with an 0 for 11 with 6 strikeout performance to start round two in Queens, his role has been simplified further: a right-handed stick to face lefties. The Mets have given him chances, even pinch hitting for Carson Benge late in a loss just to give Pham a confidence-booster at-bat. He didn’t take advantage. Where is that fiery veteran with something left to give?

2) Carson Benge

Speaking of, Carson Benge hasn’t exactly made the Mets look wise for putting him on the Opening Day roster and allowing him to practically skip a grade. Sure, he’s playing good defense at times and running well. Those tools came to him early on and there was little doubt. It’s the bat which has looked overmatched. There’s no spin to make on a .136 batting average to claim bad luck or one swing away from piecing it altogether. While Benge hasn’t been overmatched to embarrassing proportions, he clearly needs time to develop into someone who can take down big league pitchers.

3) Brett Baty

That final minor league option looks tempting. If not for losing Lindor, he’d be a candidate to go down to the minor leagues. The Mets bought a lot of stock in Brett Baty becoming a regular in the lineup this year as a solution at first base and right field. The defense has been wonky at both spots much like it was early on in 2025 at second base. Finally starting to draw walks, but still homerless to start the year, Baty is performing a little too weakly to ever be considered a 1B/RF/DH in the majors. Those are positions where, at minimum, you need to swat home runs. Lindor’s absence should buy him time while he hopes to at least outperform some of the same players at the positions he has manned this year.

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