Shortly after the team cut ties with Pete Alonso, Edwin Diaz, Brandon Nimmo and Jeff McNeil, and then brought in Bo Bichette, Freddy Peralta and Jorge Polanco to reload, the Mets have a losing record and have lost two straight series through Sunday.
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Amid the disappointing start, concerns are mounting for a veteran superstar the team decided to retain during its offseason review.
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New York Mets Superstar Francisco Lindor Offers Two-Word Answer on Notable Mistakes
On Saturday, in the second inning of the Mets’ game against the A’s, Lindor ran past second base in an attempt to field a ground ball headed toward teammate Marcus Semien. After Semien fielded the hit, Lindor was not covering second base as a result and the team was unable to record what could have been an inning-ending double play.
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“That was notable because Lindor had already made multiple mental errors on the field this season, playing less than his typical Gold Glove-caliber defense,” Anthony DiComo. wrote for MLB.com.
Against the St. Louis Cardinals earlier this month, Lindor lost count of the number of outs while fielding what should have been another double play to end the inning. And he was intercepted at first base while adjusting his batting gloves in another notable mistake this year.
In Lindor’s fifth season of a 10-year, $341 million contract with the Mets, anything less than stellar shortstop defense marks a concern for the team as it tries to recalibrate with a new combination of infielders and return to the playoffs this season. And as his defense declines, it won’t go unnoticed that Lindor is hitting just .167/.296/.250 in 71 plate appearances, leading the MLB so far this season.
“I’m not sure,” Lindor responded to a question about the origin of his unusual series of errors so far this season. according to Jorge Castillo of ESPN. “I feel like I’m locked in. I feel like I’m in the game. It just happens. I have to be better.”
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New York Mets captain Carlos Mendoza sends two-word message to Francisco Lindor amid struggles
And as the team searches for answers, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza offered an equally brief response.
“It’s strange,” Mendoza said, according to Castillo.
Although concerns are growing, at least among fans, it appears that Lindor and Mendoza are hoping for better results in the near future, based solely on the shortstop’s long and impressive history.
“It’s the same guy,” Mendoza added, according to Castillo. “He shows up. He prepares. He works as hard as anyone. He wants to win. I don’t think it has anything to do with who’s in the lineup and who’s not.”
This article was originally published on Forbes.com.