Francisco Lindor, after going just 1-for-7 in Tuesday’s doubleheader against the Cardinals, is now fighting to keep his season OPS over the .700 mark.
It was hardly the situation many Mets fans expected or hoped for, especially after the $341 million shortstop talked about the benefits of a full offseason in his new surroundings, and started the year batting .313 with a .970 OPS through his first 17 games. But the All-Star has plummeted since then, managing just 13 hits in his last 81 at-bats, only four of them going for extra bases.
Lindor’s struggles have only made questions grow louder about when, if ever, he will adjust to New York and return to what made him a star in Cleveland.
“I'm working, I'm doing whatever it takes,” Lindor said. “Just part of the game too. The pitchers have nice cars too.”
Lindor still doesn’t seem concerned about his prolonged offensive struggles in New York, and neither is his new manager, who will likely continue to field questions about his shortstop until he starts performing closer to his career norms.
“Whether mechanically, it looks like he’s swinging too big or too little, too high or too low, I think if we followed the work these guys do to prepare for every at-bat and try to be perfect, it’s hard,” Buck Showalter said. “He’s trying to win the game for us there.
“He’s gonna be a good, solid contributor for us all year long. He’s playing the heck out of shortstop, great effort, love the way he brings it every day…what may not be happening statistically, he’ll figure it out.”
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
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