Mets shortstop begins simulated games after calf injury

Francisco Lindor has started playing simulated games, and New York Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns is hopeful the shortstop can return to the team by the end of June. "Our expectation is he's going to play games for us this month," Stearns said Friday before the Mets opened a three-game series against the Atlanta Braves.

"I don't know exactly when this month, but that means we're getting closer. " Manager Carlos Mendoza said Lindor, who suffered a strained left calf while running the bases against the Minnesota Twins on April 22, played a two-inning simulated game Friday.

Lindor took at-bats against a pitcher from Single-A Brooklyn, though he didn't run after making contact.

Recovery timeline "More like a controlled environment [where] we're simulating game action, but we're controlling it," Mendoza said. "He's going to do that again next week here, where instead of two innings, it's more like three, five [innings]. " Lindor would still require a rehab stint in the minors after what will be his longest stay on the injured list, Mendoza said.

Lindor has missed the past 44 games, during which the Mets have gone 22-22.

Team performance Lindor missed just 52 games in his first five seasons with the team and played at least 143 games in each of his first four nonpandemic seasons with Cleveland. The Mets are in last place in the NL East after a 12-game losing streak in April.

"There's no question we've played better since April, but we still haven't played consistent enough to get ourselves out of a hole that we dug in April," Stearns said. " Pitcher Kodai Senga took an encouraging step in his return from lumbar spine inflammation Thursday, when he allowed one hit over six innings for Double-A Binghamton.