Francisco Lindor undergoes imaging for back pain as Mets battle for playoff spot in tight wildcard race

The New York Mets' decisive walk-off loss to the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday was bad enough for the club, and star shortstop Franciso Lindor's ongoing back problems made matters even worse.

Lindor left the team after Sunday's 2-1 loss in the second inning with renewed back pain and said after the game that he would undergo a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan to shed more light on the problem that has been persistent in recent days:

Lindor was forced to leave Friday's game and missed his first full game of the 2024 season on Saturday. But even before leaving on Sunday, Lindor hit a single to center to open the game and struck out speedy Trea Turner on a grounder in the second half of the opening inning.

To say the least, if Lindor is out for some time or even impaired but still able to play, that would be a major blow to the Mets. In his 30th season, Lindor has posted a slash line of .271/.342/.494 with 31 home runs, 39 doubles, 27 stolen bases, and of course, excellent defense at the important position of shortstop. This broad base of value has put Lindor in the discussion for the National League Most Valuable Player award for 2024. While DH Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers is probably the favorite for the award right now, Lindor is certainly in the running.

Lindor's Mets have a lot at stake right now. Sunday's playoff loss to the Phillies puts them a half-game behind the Braves for the third and final wild-card spot in the NL, while Atlanta will play the Dodgers on Sunday night. The prospect of playing one of their few remaining games without Lindor is jarring for the Mets and their fans, but that's a realistic fear right now, at least until the MRI results come in. What the MRI reveals could impact not only the race for NL MVP, but also what the NL playoffs look like.