PORT ST. LUCIE — For all the talk that New York’s vaccine mandate could prevent unvaccinated Mets players from participating in home games, Francisco Lindor remains unconcerned.
“I think that is still quite some time from Opening Day for us, so we’ll worry about it once we get closer,” Lindor said Friday. “At the end of the day whatever they decide is what they decide, so we’ll see what happens. I got my vaccine, so I’m good.”
Lindor’s assessment came on the same day NYC’s new health commissioner said private business vaccination rules will remain in effect “indefinitely.” Mayor Eric Adams still could change the rules before the Mets’ home opener on April 15.
Other Mets players who have indicated in recent days that they are vaccinated include Max Scherzer, Jeff McNeil and Robinson Cano. A club source said only about 55 percent of Mets players were vaccinated at one point last summer.
“I don’t know who is vaccinated and who is not vaccinated,” Lindor said.
“Hopefully everything works out. I want to play baseball and I am sure everybody wants to play baseball here.”
Top prospect Francisco Alvarez played in the Mets’ intrasquad scrimmage and just missed a homer in his first at-bat — the ball was caught in deep right field.
“As advertised,” manager Buck Showalter said, referring to his early impression of the 20-year-old catcher. “The ball comes off his bat. You can see topspin on the ground balls, you can see hang-time on fly balls … the ball sounds, I remember being on a practice tee and [Bryson] DeChambeau was hitting a golf ball. It was a different sound. It’s a deep thud. [Alvarez] has got a different sound.”
Starling Marte expects to begin swinging a bat within the next few days. The outfielder has been limited in workouts because of discomfort in his left oblique.
Jordan Yamamoto was reassigned to the minor leagues, leaving the Mets with 59 players in major league camp. The right-hander will serve as rotation insurance for the Mets.
“We need him to get stretched out to start the season and the innings are going away now because we are getting to the point now we won’t have innings for him,” Showalter said, when asked about the decision to reassign Yamamoto.
Among Showalter’s projects before the next spring training will be finding a new home for the bullpens, which are located in foul territory in Clover Park. The manager said he was fine with a play Lindor didn’t make on a pop up near the bullpen mound rather than risk injury.