Mets' Francisco Lindor: Recovered from back injury
Rotowire
Lindor said Wednesday that the back injury he dealt with in September has not been an issue during offseason workouts, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.
Lindor missed a little over a week of action down the stretch of the regular season with a back problem, but he showed no ill effects during the playoffs with a .275/.387/.490 slash line in 13 games, and it has been a non-issue this offseason. Following his National League MVP runner-up showing in 2024, the star shortstop will likely bat leadoff ahead of Juan Soto in 2025.
Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns said Monday that Mauricio (knee) has begun baseball activities, Abbey Mastracco of the New York Daily News reports.
Mauricio underwent right ACL surgery last December and then had an additional operation on the same knee in August to remove scar tissue. It's been a slow road to recovery for the young infielder, but it appears he's finally ready to start ramping things back up. Whether Mauricio will be 100 percent for spring training is not yet clear.
Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns said Monday that Baty could be used in a utility role next season, Abbey Mastracco of the New York Daily News reports.
Baty was used some at second base in the minors last season and Stearns has previously mentioned the outfield as a possibility for the 25-year-old, so the hints at a potential utility role had been there. Of course, Baty's name has also been brought up in trade rumors and his most likely role for the Mets at this point might be as a trade chip.
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Mets' Mark Vientos: Being viewed as third baseman
Rotowire
Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns said Monday that the team views Vientos as its third baseman right now, Abbey Mastracco of the New York Daily News reports.
"Right now" is key, of course, as the Mets seem virtually certain to acquire a corner infielder and that will help determine whether Vientos plays the hot or cold corner. Regardless of the position he plays, Vientos is going to occupy a spot in the middle of the Mets' lineup, perhaps batting third after Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto.
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Mets' Paul Blackburn: On track for Opening Day
Rotowire
General manager David Stearns said Monday that Blackburn (back) is on track to be ready for Opening Day of the 2025 season, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.
Blackburn was diagnosed with a cerebrospinal fluid leak in mid-September, which required him to undergo surgery Oct. 11. Barring any setbacks, the timeline for that surgery typically takes 4-to-5 months, and based on Stearns' comments Monday, it appears the 31-year-old right-hander will be ready to pitch for the start of the regular season. Blackburn started 14 regular-season games between the Mets and A's last season and posted a 5-4 record with a 4.66 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and 59:21 K:BB across 75.1 innings, though whether he works out of the Mets' rotation or bullpen next year has yet to be determined.
