PHILADELPHIA — The World Cup takes center stage Friday, which gives the Mets a rare mid-series off-day on the road. So let’s discuss two things unrelated to soccer: Francisco Lindor and Carlos Mendoza.
The Mets’ skipper is hoping to attend the World Cup match between Haiti and Brazil at Lincoln Financial Field on the off day, but noted that it’s a tough ticket to obtain. He knew there would be blowback from fans when he publicly said he wanted to go to a soccer match on the off day.
There is a certain subsection of sports fans who believe athletes, coaches and executives should dedicate every waking hour to their craft, especially during a losing season. I’ve heard it all at this point, from fans accusing players of spending too much time on their outside interests — Lindor with fashion, Jeff McNeil with golf, Mark Canha with restaurants.
It’s sort of an inhumane way to view sports and athletes, who are, in fact, humans with human needs for things like rest, time with family, and even food.
There is no doubt Mendoza has heard what people are saying about him, especially over the last few weeks since the Knicks have captivated the city. He knows people think this would be a good time for the Mets to quietly make a managerial change. But the Mets can’t do anything quietly, and to be fair, it’s tough for any team in New York City to do things quietly.
Mendoza also made it clear that he hears what people are saying when he was asked about how he used his bench in a 6-4 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday night. He pinch-hit Mark Vientos and Eric Wagaman, two right-handed hitters against left-hander Jose Alvarado with two outs in the seventh. Vientos walked, Wagaman hit a go-ahead RBI single, and Marcus Semien then hit a two-run triple.
When asked how satisfying it is when moves like that work out, Mendoza answered with some blunt humor.
“I look like a genius when it works out; when it doesn’t, I’m the worst,” he said. “That’s part of managing. It’s my job to continue to put guys in position to have success.”
Putting players in positions to succeed is tough when the front office signs players and tells the manager to play them out of position. But Mendoza’s ability to put them in good spots is something president of baseball operations David Stearns has lauded. Mendoza has shown an understanding of the situation that he’s in, and he isn’t naive to the reality of where the Mets are in the standings and the implications of a losing season.
It’s a lot of stress and pressure for anyone, but his answers show that he’s comfortable managing under that pressure.
The fact that the Mets haven’t moved on from the third-year manager while the team they’re playing this weekend, the Philadelphia Phillies, has made a change, means they don’t have a replacement they can easily put in place that they feel would give the team a better chance to win than the one they already have.
It should be noted that the Mets have not picked up Mendoza’s contract option for next season though, so he may very well be managing as a lame-duck. But with injuries having ravaged the roster nearly all season, the Mets might want to give him a shot with a full roster.
Getting Lindor back next week could help if he’s nearly back to full strength.
The star shortstop has been out since late April with a left calf strain, and begins a minor league rehab assignment Friday with Double-A Binghamton. He’s been taking simulated at-bats at Citi Field to be able to get back quicker, and there’s a chance he could be activated next week.
“He’s one of the best in the game, and we’ll take one of the best in the game in this lineup every time,” Semien said. “Hopefully, he’s being smart and getting ready. We’ll see how he’s feeling once he comes back. I know things are going to take time to get back in rhythm, but everybody’s excited.”
Lindor has received some unfair criticism since the offseason, and once he went on the injured list, it didn’t help. Mendoza has been one of the only people from the Mets to attempt to dispel the narrative that Lindor led a toxic clubhouse. Even if Lindor and Juan Soto aren’t best friends, there is still a mutual respect for their contributions on the field.
“His defense and his bat [are] elite,” Soto said. “I think he’s one of the best [defensive] players in the game, so I think it’s going to help a lot.”
The Mets can worry about Lindor and his spot in the order next week. For now, they can take a day to enjoy the World Cup and get back to their series against the NL East rivals Saturday night at Citizens Bank Park.