The New York Mets’ 2026 season is not getting off to the healthiest of starts.
The Mets announced on Wednesday that Francisco Lindor will undergo surgery on his hamate bone. That is a bone in the hand that is susceptible to breaking. Lindor had been bothered by the injury for a couple of years, according to Mets executive David Stearns. The shortstop reported further issues with his hand this week, which led the Mets to send him to see a specialist.
The decision was made that Lindor would undergo surgery. His return is pegged at six weeks, although some people have cautioned that a player’s full power as a hitter does not return until several months later.
For those unfamiliar, the hamate bone — which could cause Corbin Carroll, Francisco Lindor and Jackson Holliday to miss Opening Day — is a small, hook-shaped bone on the palm, just underneath the pinky, that is particularly susceptible to breaking. While the recovery is typically…
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) February 11, 2026
Oddly, Lindor is not the only star baseball player to be dealing with this issue. Both Corbin Carroll and Jackson Holliday have suffered the same injury, putting their availabilities for Opening Day in question.
Stearns has said that the Mets expect Lindor to be ready for the team’s first regular-season game.
“If we get to the point where we get closer to Opening Day and there are questions about Francisco, then we’ll cross that bridge when we get there,” Stearns said Tuesday. “But, at this point, we’re optimistic that regardless of what Francisco needs, he’s going to be ready for Opening Day.”
Lindor, 32, is entering his sixth season with the Mets. He has been a standout player with them, posting three straight seasons with at least 30 home runs and an .800 OPS.
