Mets' Francisco Lindor shares concerning update on calf injury

Before the New York Mets improved to 9-16 on the season via a nervy 10-8 win over the Minnesota Twins on Thursday night, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza confirmed that star shortstop Francisco Lindor will miss significant time due to the calf injury that Lindor suffered the previous evening. 

Also on Thursday, Lindor admitted that there is "definitely some level of concern" regarding the setback. It sounds like he won't return to the lineup anytime soon. 

When could Francisco Lindor return to action for Mets? 

Per Ben Krimmel of SNY, Lindor was only able to say on Thursday that he "hopes" to return to action before the All-Star break arrives in the middle of July. Lindor also said that he "doesn’t want to know" an exact timetable for his recovery. 

"It just plays with my head," Lindor explained. "I trust the trainers here; we have really good trainers. I have really good people at the house as well that help me get back on the field, hopefully soon." 

It's a brutal blow for a Mets side that got outfielder Juan Soto back from the right calf strain he suffered on April 3 for the win over the Twins on Wednesday that ended New York's 12-game losing streak. It's also clear that Lindor's injury is much worse than the one that sidelined Soto earlier this month. 

Francisco Lindor has one goal in mind amid injury recovery

Shortly after Soto went down, a surgeon noted that "significant calf injuries can raise risk for catastrophic Achilles ruptures" among athletes. That likely will have something to do with why the Mets won't rush Lindor back before he's deemed ready to go. 

"The goal is to win the World Series," Lindor said when asked about a possible return date. "That’s the one goal." 

Promising prospect Ronny Mauricio and offseason acquisition Bo Bichette are expected to handle shortstop duties for the Mets amid Lindor's absences. Bichette played the role of hero for the Mets at Citi Field on Thursday: