In the happiest moments for the Mets, just about the saddest moment invades Francisco Lindor’s mind.
In the past week, the Mets celebrated two walk-off victories that emptied their dugout and prompted on-field celebrations with running hugs and players jumping up and down.
Lindor has tried his best to stay grounded.
The Mets shortstop was the Team Puerto Rico shortstop in the World Baseball Classic in March, when Edwin Diaz celebrated a victory over the Dominican Republic by hopping up and down with teammates and tearing his patellar tendon in the process.
“Those two times we’ve walked off, it’s creeped into my head,” Lindor said over the weekend. “It’s a natural reaction: You celebrate. You hug people. You jump.”
He is trying to jump no longer.
In Wednesday’s win over the Rays, which finished with a three-run, walk-off home run from Pete Alonso, the first baseman was mobbed at home plate by a leaping crowd of teammates.
Lindor remained on the outskirts of the huddle, watching his teammates literally jump for joy.
He put his arms around them, later hugged several but did not hop around.
He is not preaching against or policing his teammates’ joy and understands the inclination to go airborne.
“Everyone’s going to celebrate different. Celebrations happen organically,” said Lindor, who has been reveling more with hugs and chest bumps. “At some point I will jump. If we win the World Series, we do cool things, at some point I will jump.”
He did a touch of jumping after his own walk-off, RBI single to beat the Guardians on Friday, when he raised his arms in celebration and was engulfed in a hug from Brett Baty.
The rest of the Mets soon clustered around the two, but Lindor tried not to leave the ground.
He shouted for joy amid the crush of teammates, and the celebration dissipated quickly.
“I learned my lesson. I have a lot of excitement, but I saw one of my teammates,” he said, his voice trailing off.
Lindor did not see Diaz go down firsthand, but he was only a few steps away.
After Diaz saved a game that eliminated the Dominican Republic from the WBC, Lindor hugged Javier Baez near second base and had his back to the infield grass, where Diaz’s celebration ended with him on the grass in obvious pain.
“I turned around, and he was on the ground,” Lindor said of Diaz, the star Mets closer who is expected to miss this season. “I’ve seen the video a lot of times. I was there. I cried. I was devastated. I learned.”
For his part, Diaz has not given up hopes of a 2023 comeback despite the eight-month recovery timeline that normally accompanies a torn patellar tendon.
This weekend, manager Buck Showalter said Diaz has been around the clubhouse plenty.
“Wherever I look, Edwin’s there,” Showalter said.
His presence remains with the Mets, even when they are celebrating without him.