Report: Mets' Francisco Lindor grabbed Jeff McNeil by throat during infamous altercation
Probably the weirdest occurrence during the New York Mets' disappointing 2021 season involved star shortstop Francisco Lindor and infielder Jeff McNeil getting into some kind of altercation in the tunnel during a home game versus the Arizona Diamondbacks on May 7.
Lindor and McNeil both bizarrely said after the fact they were discussing whether they spotted a rat or raccoon that fateful evening:
On Wednesday, however, Mike Puma of the New York Post reported new information about the incident.
Per Puma, Lindor "grabbed McNeil by the throat and pinned him against a wall in the tunnel" following an argument that stemmed from McNeil committing a defensive "positioning" miscue. Essentially, Lindor had to briefly hesitate before attempting to throw a runner out at first base until McNeil ducked out of the way, and that pause cost the Mets an out. That wasn't the first time McNeil found himself in the wrong place in the infield early into the season.
"[Lindor] would always try to get him to move, and Jeff would be like, 'Shut up, I got it,'" a source told the Post. "It was building and building."
McNeil’s agent declined to comment on the update, while Lindor's agent didn’t respond to a request for comment.
Puma's story was published less than 24 hours after the Atlanta Braves, New York's division rival, won the World Series.
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