Francisco Lindor may come off the bench for Mets in opener vs. Braves

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Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor is out of the starting lineup with a sore back for the eighth straight game as New York opens a pivotal three-game series with the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday.

Lindor met with reporters before the game wearing a heavy heat wrap on his back and said he would work out before the game to determine if he was healthy enough to come off the bench in the series opener. Lindor had a bone scan Monday that revealed no structural damage to his back, which he said meant there would likely be no further threat of injury if he tried to play.

“He’s going to try to push it again and he’s going to let me know if he is available for today or not,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. “That was the case on Sunday, and after the workout, he said he was not there yet. He’s going to be very honest with us. He’s not going to put himself at risk or the team at risk.”

The Mets have gone 6-1 without Lindor and enter the final six games of the season in position for the second National League wild card, two games in front of the fourth-place Braves.

Lindor said he would be willing to return as a DH if the team felt that was best. He said he needs to get to the point where if he feels pain when playing, it does not remain.

“It is more important for me, that the pain comes, and then goes,” Lindor said. “Before, when I hit the ball and started running, it wasn’t letting go. It can’t be that constant, ‘I can’t move, I can’t move, I can’t move.’ That will put me in a spot where I can’t do what I need to do.”

Rookie Luisangel Acuna has replaced Lindor in the lineup and fared well, batting .379 with three home runs since being called up on Sept. 14.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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