Francisco Lindor acknowledged the difficulty of the 2026 season as he seeks to return to form in the years ahead. The New York Mets shortstop, who has battled multiple injuries over the past year, recorded career lows across several statistical categories, raising questions about whether his decline was due primarily to physical setbacks or overall performance.

Speaking before a Friday game against the Washington Nationals, Lindor expressed determination to regain his prior level of play. “I have no other option,” he said. “I have to go back to being a plus player at shortstop. Not only defensively, but running and hitting.”

Lindor is currently midway through his 10-year, $341 million contract with the Mets. Heading into the game, his on-base plus slugging (OPS) stood at .731, the lowest of his career. Defensive metrics also reflected struggles, with a minus-1 rating for outs above average and placement in MLB’s 38th percentile for range. He committed 11 errors in 101 games, marking the highest error rate of his career.

The 32-year-old’s tough season follows a series of physical challenges. After undergoing elbow cleanup surgery last offseason, Lindor suffered a broken hamate bone during spring training, sidelining him for much of camp. His most significant injury occurred on April 22, when a left calf strain—sustained while attempting to score from first base—cost him approximately two months of playing time.

“I have got to make sure my body is in the right spot,” Lindor said, reflecting on his rehabilitation efforts. “With all the stuff the trainers have given me, now I go back home with my trainers and incorporate it and make sure I keep not only the calves strong, but everything else in my body. I had three injuries in a year. Hopefully I can finish this year healthy and go into the season in a good spot.”

Beyond his own injuries, Lindor pointed to the team’s inconsistent availability among key players as a factor in the Mets’ disappointing season. Juan Soto, who has been sidelined twice due to a calf strain, had appeared in 109 games and entered play Friday with 27 home runs and 68 RBIs. Lindor projected that Soto could have reached approximately 40 homers and driven in an additional 40 runs if healthy, with similar potential gains for himself and other players such as Marcus Semien, Jorge Polanco, and others who missed time.

“We are a product of compiling days after days together,” Lindor said. “I have never been a player that hits 10 home runs in a month, but I have been very consistent — five or six a month and I play every day. You add that through the course of the season and it puts you in a much better spot.”

Following a run to Game 6 of the National League Championship Series in 2024, hopes for the Mets to become a regular postseason contender have yet to be realized. With the team again missing the playoffs this year, Lindor acknowledged the front office’s longer-term rebuilding timeline.

“[2024] was Year 1 for the [David] Stearns front office, and I think the projection is usually toward Year 2 or probably Year 3,” Lindor said. He added that the 2024 playoff appearance was a bonus rather than a step closer to sustained success. “How can I explain that we’re not where we wanted to be? No. 1, I didn’t perform and I was hurt. No. 2, as a collective group we didn’t do what we were supposed to do.”

Nevertheless, Lindor remains optimistic about the club’s future, citing a promising rookie core that includes Carson Benge, A.J. Ewing, and Nolan McLean, as well as strong financial backing from team owner Steve Cohen.

“You have the pieces that the organization wants,” Lindor said. “Now it’s going to be up to the front office to add the right ones and then up to the players to put it together.”