The New York Mets got Juan Soto back, but they lost Francisco Lindor. It feels like a brutal trade-off for wins and a tough time to be a Mets fan. Nonetheless, the team has won two games in a row, and while Lindor is out, other opportunities will arise. As a fantasy baseball manager, you may need to pivot to your bench or the waiver wire. Let us be your guiding light.
It is no secret that Lindor has struggled to start the 2026 MLB season. At shortstop, Lindor ranks 17th at his position in fantasy baseball. On the season, he is batting .226 with just 5 RBIs. Lindor had actually begun to heat up, with 4 RBIs in his last two games, but he will now be out for over a month with a calf strain.
Lindor's absence will lead to the arrival of Ronny Mauricio. The Mets infielder is expected to play a lot of shortstop and/or third base while Lindor is out, rotating back and forth with Bo Bichette. With big power and great defense, Mauricio has the potential to rise in fantasy baseball and is not a bad stash. His upside is quite high, although he is still too volatile to start in fantasy baseball at this very moment. He has just one hit in eight at-bats in 2026.
The top rising shortstop on the waiver wire is Xander Bogaerts of the San Diego Padres. He is rostered in fewer than 50% of leagues, yet Bogaerts has a .289 batting average, an .810 OPS, and four home runs in fewer than 100 at-bats. We know from Bogaerts' Red Sox days that he can be a top-10 shortstop in baseball. Pick him up.
Mickey Moniak of the Colorado Rockies is the fastest-rising hitter at any position. Moniak has started the majority of the Rockies' games in right field, including seven of the team's last nine. In 2026, Moniak is batting .324 with a 1.097 OPS and a whopping eight home runs in 72 plate appearances. He is rostered in fewer than 40% of fantasy baseball leagues. Given his power, Moniak is a great pickup.
Lindor has been placed on the 10-day IL, but that does not fully reflect how long he is expected to be out. The Mets expect Lindor to miss 3-4 weeks, which is considered more serious than Juan Soto's recent muscle strain. Soto was out for fewer than three weeks. However, medical experts such as Jesse Morse, M.D., say Lindor could be out more like 6-8 weeks.
The last time Lindor dealt with a notable injury was with the Cleveland Guardians in 2019. Lindor had a calf strain that kept him out for 6-8 weeks. Lindor noted that the injury at that time seemed much worse than his current one.
Masyn Winn, Nolan Schanuel Among Top Week 5 Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups
2026 NFL Draft: Best Available Fantasy Stars On Night 2: Denzel Boston Is Still On The Board
Fantasy Impact Of All 2026 NFL Draft First-Round Picks: Jeremiyah Love Could Hurt Fantasy Owners
Week 5 Fantasy Baseball Prospect Watch Featuring Kyle Teel & Dylan Crews
This article was originally published on www.si.com/onsi/fantasy as Francisco Lindor's Bad Injury Update and 2 Must-Add Fantasy Baseball Replacements .