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Mets' Lindor grabbed McNeil's throat during altercation?
Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor (12) and left fielder Jeff McNeil (6) got into some kind of altercation in the tunnel. Scott Taetsch-USA TODAY Sports

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. 

Zac Wassink

Zac Wassink is a longtime sports news writer and PFWA member who began his career in 2006 and has had his work featured on Yardbarker, MSN, Yahoo Sports and Bleacher Report. He is also a football and futbol aficionado who is probably yelling about Tottenham Hotspur at the moment and who chanted for Matt Harvey to start the ninth inning of Game 5 of the 2015 World Series at Citi Field. You can find him on X at @ZacWassink

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