Mets' Francisco Lindor acknowledges harsh reality in return from back injury

The New York Mets went 6-1 across their final homestand of the regular season as star shortstop Francisco Lindor continued to recover from a lingering back injury that's kept him out of action since Sept. 15. 

Lindor said after New York's 2-1 home win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday night he's "optimistic" he'll return to the lineup at some point this week but also acknowledged he likely won't be fully healthy anytime soon. 

"What needs to happen for me is to check every box," Lindor explained about possibly playing as soon as Tuesday's series opener at the Atlanta Braves (85-71), per Colin Martin of SNY. "I'm pretty sure I don't think I'm going to play pain-free. If I play this year, I don't think it's gonna be pain-free. I'm OK with that. I just don't want it to be a constant pain where I can't bend over. Then I put my teammates in a position where I'm not helping them as much as I can. That's not fair for anybody."

Emerging as the Mets' behind-the-scenes leader and their MVP, Lindor helped the club save its season after falling to 22-33 on May 29. According to ESPN stats, he began Monday leading the Mets among eligible players with a .271 batting average on the campaign. He is second on the team with 31 home runs and third with 86 RBI. 

SNY's John Flanigan noted that Lindor ramped up his baseball activities on Sunday afternoon to get right for the massive three-game tilt in Atlanta. The 87-69 Mets will begin that evening knowing that a series win will secure them a playoff berth, as they possess a two-game lead over the Braves in the battle for the National League's final wild-card postseason spot and would own the tiebreaker advantage over Atlanta if such a scenario played out.

"I believe that I'm doing everything I can day in and day out to try and be in a position where I can get back and play," Lindor added during his comments. "I want to be there as much as anybody, and the trainers want me there as much as anybody. It's just a matter of hitting that spot that they're going to feel safe and they're going to feel good. And then, same thing for me."

As of Monday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook had the Mets at -320 betting odds to make the playoffs. Theoretically, New York's chances of taking at least one game from Atlanta should only improve if Lindor is cleared to play even as just a designated hitter at some point before Thursday night concludes.