Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor has fractured pinky toe, but not expected to go on IL

New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor did not play in Thursday’s 6-5 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers due to a fractured pinky toe suffered in Wednesday’s game.

However, Lindor is not expected to go on the injured list. Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said Lindor wanted to play Thursday, but was kept out of the lineup. It’s a day-to-day situation that comes down to how much pain Lindor can tolerate, according to Mendoza.

Lindor suffered the injury when he was hit in the right foot by an 89 mph slider from a Tony Gonsolin slider in the first inning. The shortstop went to the ground in pain but stayed in the game and eventually scored on a Juan Soto groundout.

After going 0-for-4 in the game, Lindor told reporters that he was feeling “a lot” of pain but could still play. Only after taking off his sock did he see how badly his foot was bruised, according to MLB.com. X-rays taken confirmed the broken toe.

The Mets lost Thursday after giving up three runs in the eighth. An error at third base by Brett Baty allowed the Dodgers to score the tying run before Michael Conforto drove in the go-ahead run.

Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts also didn’t go on the injured list after he fractured the fourth toe on his left foot, albeit in a home mishap. However, he did miss four games before returning to the lineup. Betts said playing was mostly a pain management issue, seemingly confirming what Mendoza and Lindor said.

Lindor, 31, is batting .279/.353/.490 with 10 doubles, 14 home runs, 36 RBI and 11 stolen bases in 283 plate appearances. Last season, he finished as the runner-up in National League MVP voting to Shohei Ohtani with a .273/.344/.500 average, 39 doubles, 33 homers, 91 RBI and 39 steals.

In Lindor’s absence, Luisangel Acuña — Braves superstar Ronald Acuña’s younger brother — started at shortstop Thursday and is expected to fill in at the position until the veteran returns. He’s hitting .246/.298/.292 and has mostly played second base this season, but is credited with 1 Defensive Run Saved and 2 Outs Above Average at shortstop. Ronny Mauricio is also being prepared to help out, though he hasn’t played shortstop since 2023.