Mets’ Lindor, Baez practice as double-play partners
Francisco Lindor and Javier Baez worked out together at shortstop and second base, respectively, at Dodgers Stadium on Thursday. That double-play duo could be starting games together as soon as the Mets’ next homestand.
“So much energy,” manager Luis Rojas said of Lindor and Baez. “Those two guys are looking really good.”
Lindor and Baez are childhood friends, born one year apart in Puerto Rico. The Mets planned for Baez to play at shortstop while Lindor (strained oblique) recovered on the IL, and then eventually move him around the infield. Then Baez also hit the injured list with back spasms, but the team expects him to be activated when he’s eligible on Sunday, or shortly after.
Now it sounds like both Lindor and Baez could come off the IL around the same time — when the Mets return to Citi Field on Tuesday from their sevengame road trip against the Giants and Dodgers.
Lindor will take over his starting position at shortstop, while Baez will shift to second base.
“They joke about probably switching in the middle of the game,” Rojas said laughing. “One playing short and the other one playing second.”
But where does that leave
Jeff McNeil?
The second baseman is no stranger to serving as a utility option for the Mets. McNeil was called up to the big leagues in 2018 and has stayed in the majors ever since. But his career games (330) total just two seasons, with last year’s 60-game schedule impacting that number.
Across those parts of four seasons, McNeil has played second, third, left field, and right field for the Mets. This year though, with Robinson Cano serving his season-long suspension for PEDs, McNeil has played 72 of his 82 games at second base.
McNeil’s usual defensive position will soon change. The team is expected to shift him to third base and left field when Baez and Lindor both return. Rojas said of McNeil at third: “He’s worked really hard there.”
The Mets have not considered playing Baez at third base. The team is attracted to the defensive possibilities of Lindor and Baez up the middle, enough to shift McNeil over to the hot corner or the outfield. J.D. Davis and Dominic Smith will also see their playing times impacted by the Lindor-Baez doubleplay combo.
It will certainly be a newlook infield, as late as the final week of August, that has interesting and promising possibilities.