One of the most expensive lineups in the MLB continues to fall flat as the New York Mets faced their latest defeat against the Los Angeles Dodgers, 8-2, on Wednesday. With the Mets’ losing streak now at eight games, Francisco Lindor’s defense remains a significant liability. As his mental mistake turned expensive once again on Wednesday, the Mets’ fandom no longer believes in mincing their words against him.
Lindor is off to a brutal start this season. He is batting just .184. But his struggles aren’t just at the plate. His defensive mistakes are adding up, too. As the Dodgers completed a series sweep against the Mets, Francisco Lindor decided not to charge a routine groundball off Teoscar Hernandez’s bat. Hernandez ultimately beat it for an infield single as he hustled down the line, reported Anthony DiComo of MLB.com.
“Another mistake from Francisco Lindor, whose decision not to charge this ball allowed Teoscar Hernandez to hustle down the line with an infield hit. The Dodgers are now rallying in the eighth,” DiComo wrote on his X post with the video of the play.
Hernandez’s hit in the eighth inning cost the Mets big time. It sparked a huge five-run rally, capped off by a grand slam from Dalton Rushing.
Another mistake from Francisco Lindor, whose decision not to charge this ball allowed Teoscar Hernandez to hustle down the line with an infield hit. The Dodgers are now rallying in the eighth. pic.twitter.com/zWW6ZccN9q
— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) April 16, 2026
Lindor’s latest mental mistake adds to his previous defensive blunders.
During Saturday’s 11-6 loss to the Athletics, Lindor wasted a chance to execute a potential inning-ending double play as Kodai Senga pitched in the second. The shortstop surprisingly decided to chase after a grounder closer to second baseman Marcus Semien, rather than cover the bag at second. As a result, when Semien fielded the ball, he had no one to throw it to, eventually prolonging the inning.
However, his defensive miscues date back to even earlier in the month, as seen against the St. Louis Cardinals.
Against the Cardinals on April 1, Lindor forgot how many outs there were and blew a routine double play. Because of that mistake, pitcher Freddy Peralta was forced to throw extra pitches.
While Lindor’s bat finally showed some life against the Dodgers on Tuesday night, when he hit a homer off Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the same cannot be said about his defense. With the Mets stuck in a massive losing streak, Lindor is facing the brunt of the fandom’s anger as his mental mistakes become glaring.
Francisco Lindor’s latest lapse puts him under the Mets fandom’s ire
“He’s lazy, disconnected. Stearns destroyed this team. Both from a talent perspective and a mental toughness perspective. They’re weak, disinterested,” commented one fan on X. Lindor’s latest defensive errors have been unexplainable. As the Mets continued their downward spiral, in the year they rebuilt their core, the heat of the fans’ anger extended to David Stearns as well. The Mets underwent a roster overhaul, adding Bo Bichette, Luis Robert Jr., and Freddy Peralta while letting go of veterans, including Pete Alonso, Brandon Nimmo, and Jeff McNeil.
“Lindor needs to sit or be DFA’d. He’s killing this team. Mendoza has no balls. He can’t lead this team because he doesn’t feel qualified to manage them. He never played pro ball, and he’s intimidated by his own players,” wrote another. On top of Lindor’s failing defense, his at-bats have been ineffective as well. Lindor has only managed 14 hits in 76 at-bats, with 1 RBI, 1 homer, and 10 walks while getting struck out 16 times. Fans want him designated for assignment. They have also questioned Mendoza’s ability to coach the Mets, as he has mainly played in the minors. The Mets manager, a former outfielder, had spent 13 seasons in the minor leagues.
As Lindor continued to get flak from the fans, one user came to his defense. He wrote, “Yeah, this is for sure the reason the Dodgers dropped 8 on us – couldn’t have been ya know the grand slam and the solo homer? How is that on Lindor?” Lindor’s infield error came when the Mets were trailing 3-1 at the bottom of the eighth. Though Rushing’s grand slam and Kyle Tucker’s solo homer cemented the Dodgers’ victory, Lindor’s decision not to charge after the grounder paved the way for Rushing’s homer.
Lindor got some more flak from the fans, with one questioning his commitment to the game. “Does this guy want to play…34 million a year for this bulls–t,” remarked one fan. The Mets signed Lindor on a 10-year, $341 million contract extension in 2021, including no opt-outs and a limited no-trade clause. The contract keeps him with the Mets through the 2031 season.
Lindor is in year six with the Mets, and per his contract, he has five more years with the franchise. Last season, he hit with an average of .267, clocking in 31 homers and 86 RBI for the Mets. The franchise still has a long season ahead, and Lindor should focus on recapturing his well-known elite defense while bringing back his power batting. And maybe, Lindor’s comeback could turn the season for the Mets as well.
