Francisco Lindor remained out of the lineup for the fifth straight day, but it does sound like the shortstop might be turning a corner with his back issues. The Mets’ team leader progressed to baseball activities Friday, running, playing catch and taking batting practice outside.

Though the Mets are willing to let him take enough time to get his back healthy, there appears to be some optimism that he could return to action this weekend. The team has done fine without him, winning their last four games and scoring 10 runs in each of the last three for the first time in team history, but with the club recognizing its fans this weekend during the final regular season homestand at Citi Field, all parties are hoping to see him back in the lineup against the Philadelphia Phillies.

“I think if we were in May, maybe we would give him an extra day, or a couple of days of him running the bases and going through [protocol],” manager Carlos Mendoza said Friday. “But the thing with him is that he knows himself better than anybody. When he can go, he’s going to let us know. And if he feels like he’s good enough to help the team and not put himself in a position where he’s in danger of risking or injury or something else, he’s not going to go play. So we trust him, and if he says, ‘I’m good to go whenever,’ he’ll be in the lineup playing shortstop and batting leadoff.”

Lindor’s eagerness to play every day stems less from the desire to make it to 162 games, and more from the desire to show up for his team and produce for them. The Mets currently hold the second NL Wild Card spot, but there are still four teams competing for three spots. In a tight race and the last thing Lindor wants to do is sit back and watch when the games mean the most.

However, the Mets let him talk his way into the lineup Sunday in Philadelphia and he ended up removing himself after two innings. You could make the argument that the Mets could afford to give him the weekend off so he’s healthy for a critical series in Atlanta next week, but good luck talking Lindor out of playing once he feels he’s ready.

“We’re talking about Francisco Lindor, we’re talking about a potential MVP,” Mendoza said. “When he says he’s ready to go, it doesn’t matter where we’re at. He’s in the lineup.”

SENGA SAGA

Kodai Senga (left calf strain) will make a rehab start Saturday with Triple-A Syracuse. He’ll be limited to 30-35 pitches, possibly less depending on the situation. If he throws 25 pitches in the first inning, he won’t go back out for a second, but if he needs only 9-10 to get through the first inning, he’ll get another up.

Should all parties agree that he’s ready to pitch in a big league game again, the Mets could pencil him to pitch Friday in Milwaukee against the Brewers. The Triple-A season ends Sunday, so the right-hander wouldn’t have another chance to make a rehab start and feels that he needs to feel the game intensity and game speed before returning to the big leagues for a playoff push.

A simulated game would not mimic the intensity Senga is looking for.

With a limited pitch count, the Mets are discussing how best to use Senga if he’s able to return next week. He could be used as an opener or out of the bullpen. Earlier this week, he said he would be open to either possibility.

“We’ve just got to wait and see how he comes out of tomorrow,” Mendoza said. “He’s got a pretty special routine, and he’s very meticulous about everything that he does, so he’s going to have a lot of say on this decision.”

STANNING THE FANS

Friday marks the start of Fan Appreciation Weekend. The club hosted season ticket-holders and other VIP fans Friday night, inviting several of them to attend pregame press conferences and batting practice. The weekend will also feature alumni appearances, concession discounts, pregame and postgame block parties scheduled for Saturday and promotional giveaways.

The Mets have been vocal about wanting to play in front of a packed crowd this weekend.

“When Citi is a vibe, it’s a fun place to play,” said first baseman Pete Alonso. “We totally feed off that in a really good way. We only have a few games here, and I’m doubling down, saying come on guys, come on out…

“Come help create that environment that we love to play in.”

The post Mets Notebook: Francisco Lindor takes batting practice, Kodai Senga to make rehab start Saturday appeared first on Patabook News .