Nothing is going right for the Mets this year.

The Mets just snapped their longest-ever 12-game losing streak. Juan Soto returned from injury and connected for a hit on Wednesday. But just as the Mets fans were hoping to see things finally falling in place, disaster struck again. The Mets won the second game against the Twins on Wednesday, but at the cost of Francisco Lindor‘s injury.

And the latest update is hinting a big blow to the team.

“One day after the Mets get Juan Soto back, Francisco Lindor is expected to land on the IL,” Talkin’ Baseball shared via X.

The injury happened when Lindor was running bases on a Francisco Alvarez’s double. He suddenly appeared to be uncomfortable and slowed down in pain. Medical staff attended, and he was taken off the field, hinting at a calf strain. In the game, he was replaced by Brett Baty in the fifth inning, and Bo Bichette went back to shortstop.

“[Lindor] is going to get an MRI tomorrow and see what we are dealing with,” Carlos Mendoza said. “It sucks, and when you see a guy like Lindor, as tough as he is, I knew right away. He was rounding third base, and I knew something wasn’t right. We’ll see what we have.”

As per Mendoza, Lindor faced the same injury as Soto, and that means he could be sidelined for multiple weeks. This comes just when Lindor was looking at a good touch on Wednesday. He was hitting 2-for-2, driving and scoring a run before going off the field. He was off to a slow start this year, hitting .226/.314/.355 across 105 plate appearances.

While Lindor’s exact condition could be identified after his MRI, the concerning fact is that this is his second injury of the year. Lindor reportedly was delayed in the spring due to a hamate bone fracture. He rushed to get ready before the opening game, but could only survive 24 games before getting sidelined again.

The only positive thing was Juan Soto’s return. He leads the Mets’ hitting chart with a .353 average, and his return couldn’t get better than this time. Before Soto was sidelined, the Mets were 4-4, and the slump started after his absence. So, now in the absence of Lindor, the Mets would hope for the best from Soto. And to add to Soto’s strength, the Mets are reportedly calling up their prospect, replacing Lindor.

A 25-year-old prospect is replacing Francisco Lindor

The Mets are calling up infielder Ronny Mauricio for Lindor. The 25-year-old’s defensive stats (2 DRS) could be assuring for the fans. However, his 84 wRC+ across 296 plate appearances is something the Mets would like to avoid as they come out of the danger zone. The Mets are currently ranked 26th in terms of average (.224) and 30th in terms of total runs scored (78).

Hence, the team needs raw power-hitting.

Mauricio is coming off a three-homer game for Triple-A Syracuse. Moreover, he had been tearing the cover off the ball for most of the season with a slugging percentage north of .600. So, while Lindor was yet to showcase his hitting this year, hopefully Mauricio will not take time to fire up. He will reportedly be named the Mets’ regular shortstop, with Juan Soto taking the designated hitter role.

So now, the bigger question is, could the Mets improve their power-hitting lapse and Lindor’s absence with the 25-year-old prospect. Last year, Mauricio slashed .226/.293/.369 over 61 games, which was exactly what Lindor was doing this season. But Mauricio is going hot in the ongoing Triple-A season, where he’s hitting .293/.349/.638 with six homers.

Maintaining that momentum would do enough for the Mets with Soto around.

Soto’s absence proved worse for the Mets. Now, let’s see what Lindor’s injury brings to the team.