Juan Soto injury means Mets need Francisco Lindor ASAP

The Mets may be in a wonky three-way tie for first in the NL East at 6-4, but that doesn’t mean Juan Soto hitting the injured list for the first time in his career isn’t a cause for concern.

Two to three weeks is a long time for the Mets to be without their hottest hitter. Soto was batting .355 with a home run and five RBI before straining his calf running the bases. And we recently discussed how no one else on New York’s roster was really producing behind Soto, namely star shortstop Francisco Lindor. The switch-hitter was 2 for 16 in the team’s recent weekend series in San Francisco, the same in which Soto was injured, and is only batting .135 on the year. He has no home runs or RBIs.

But hey, Mark Vientos, right? He’s batting .500 in April and batted the same in the four-game set versus the Giants. Could he finally be turning things around? Maybe so, but even then. The Mets now have to manage weeks without both Juan Soto while also navigating life without former star slugger Pete Alonso. Turnarounds often start at the top, and that means Francisco Lindor.

Now, to be fair, luck hasn’t been on Lindor’s side either. His BABIP is only .172. He’s still taking his walks, with his OBP nearly 200 points higher than his batting average at .333.

He does, however, seem to have a hole in his swing. Lindor’s soft contact and ground ball rates are both up in terms of batted ball this season. His soft contact (Soft%) is up nearly ten points to 27.6% and his ground ball rate (GB%) up 10.6 points at 48.3%.

It’s also April 7. Lindor is the Mets’ leadoff man. It’s not a matter of if he turns things around, but when. An upcoming three-game set with the Arizona Diamondbacks, currently 5-5 and tied for second in the NL West, could be an encouraging sign. The Snakes’ pitching staff ranks 21st in baseball with a 4.60 ERA, but 27th in expected ERA (xERA) and 5.41. The Mets should be able to handle them with or without Juan Soto in the lineup.

Key word being should, that is. There’s simply too much talent in the lineup, particularly at the top, for the Mets to simply disappear until Soto returns. Lindor himself has three consecutive 30-home run seasons. He’s stolen at least 30 bases in two of the last three years. Francisco Alvarez is a solid slugging catcher when healthy, while Brett Baty continues to improve. Bo Bichette can use the whole field and has above-average power.

Except besides Soto, only Mark Vientos and Luis Robert Jr are batting above .300. What’s more, all of Robert’s hits besides his walk-off home run have been singles. It’s also unlikely that Vientos parlays this hot steak into a consistent and productive season. If not, he could find himself traded, released, or non-tendered at the end of the year.

Someone has to step up first, and that someone is Francisco Lindor. He is not the Mets’ official captain, nor will he ever be if you believe Steve Cohen’s comments. Juan Soto might have the big contract, but anyone paying attention knows that the Mets are very much Lindor’s team.

It’s all about leading by example from the top down. Vientos’ little hot streak is nice, but he can’t be counted on to carry the team by himself these next few weeks. Calf injuries are tricky, even if Soto’s is mild. Two to three weeks could just as easily become four to six overnight.

Meanwhile, Pete Alonso is over in Baltimore and not faring much better himself, batting .205 with only one homer on the year thus far.

Because once Francisco Lindor starts hitting well out of the leadoff spot? That could mean Bo Bichette bouncing back is next. Maybe followed by Baty.

This Mets team is built to win with or without Juan Soto in the lineup. Time to see Lindor reclaim it.