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It's now confirmed: Francisco Lindor will undergo surgery for a broken bone in his hand.
He will obviously miss the World Baseball Classic (he wasn't supposed to be there anyway due to insurance issues), but also a large part of the preseason schedule. He could start the season on time, but nothing is certain.
If Lindor can't start the season on time, someone will have to take his place. But who?
Everything suggests, for the moment, that the New York club does not want to move its veterans. After all, Marcus Semien and Bo Bichette are trained shortstops, but they will be playing elsewhere in 2026.
Young players will therefore have to fill Lindor's shoes in the meantime, if necessary.
Carlos Mendoza was asked about Bichette, and his answer was clear: Bichette needs to learn how to handle his new position. At camp, he will play third base.
Carlos Mendoza says that Bo Bichette getting shortstop reps is off the table for right now:
“Right now, we have to make sure we get him comfortable at third base and that's where he's going to be getting his work defensively.” pic.twitter.com/Ldmuf5U7DO
— SNY (@SNYtv) February 11, 2026
I agree with the logic behind his comments. After all, Lindor won't miss a long stretch of the regular season (he could even be there from day one) and Bichette will be at third base this season.
If there were ever to be a change, which isn't the most likely scenario at the moment, Bichette could move to his usual position without needing a ton of practice under his belt.
The guy knows how to play shortstop on command… even if he doesn't excel defensively. But he needs to get used to third base.
All of this reminds us, however, that depth is generally thin in New York. That's why I have a hard time projecting a great season for the Mets.
- World Baseball Classic: Who will replace Corbin Carroll?
Team USA is considering Steven Kwan, Tyler Soderstrom, Riley Greene, Roman Anthony, James Wood, Wyatt Langford, and Kyle Stowers to replace Corbin Carroll on the WBC roster, per @jonmorosi pic.twitter.com/3NGWXCZ13J
— Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) February 11, 2026
- Kazuma Okamoto will be in Dunedin on Friday.
Kazuma Okamoto (visa) will travel to Dunedin on Friday and will join the #BlueJays over the weekend, so he's expected to be here for the full-squad workouts.
— Keegan Matheson (@KeeganMatheson) February 11, 2026
- Shane Bieber is taking his time.
Shane Bieber is currently playing catch in his long toss progression.
“I was just advised to take a little bit of time off and take it slow. These things take time, you know, I'm still not even two years out from TJ.”#BlueJays
— Mitch Bannon (@MitchBannon) February 11, 2026
- Evan Phillips stays in L.A.
Right-handed reliever Evan Phillips and the Los Angeles Dodgers have agreed to a one-year, $6.5 million contract. Phillips, 31, is coming off Tommy John surgery and is expected to return around July.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) February 11, 2026
- Did the guy keep his rib after his surgery?
Zack Wheeler held onto his rib as a keepsake pic.twitter.com/HiHZ6ozLdf
— Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) February 11, 2026
This content was created with the help of AI.
