Francisco Lindor injury update: Indians shortstop hurts ankle in minor league game

Marc Lancaster

Francisco Lindor injury update: Indians shortstop hurts ankle in minor league game image

Francisco Lindor's 2019 debut figures to be delayed even longer after he injured his left ankle Tuesday in a minor league game. 

The Indians said their shortstop suffered an "acute ankle sprain" while running the bases and did not offer a timetable for his potential return. 

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Lindor did not play in a major league spring training game this year as he spent his time recovering from a right calf strain he sustained shortly before camp opened. He saw his first minor league game action Monday in Arizona. 

While the Indians already knew Lindor would not be ready on Opening Day, this new setback certainly won't help matters — particularly with his middle infield opposite number Jason Kipnis also set to open on the injured list with a calf injury. 

Lindor hasn't had many injury issues in his brief but stellar MLB career, missing only 10 games total the last three seasons and leading the AL in plate appearances the last two years (and the majors overall last season with 745). 

Eric Stamets is expected to open the season as Cleveland's starting shortstop. The 27-year-old has never played in the majors and had a .202/.272/.324 slash line at Triple-A Columbus last season. 

Marc Lancaster

Marc Lancaster Photo

Marc Lancaster joined The Sporting News in 2022 after working closely with TSN for five years as an editor for the company now known as Stats Perform. He previously worked as an editor at The Washington Times, AOL’s FanHouse.com and the old CNNSportsIllustrated.com, and as a beat writer covering the Tampa Bay Rays, Cincinnati Reds, and University of Georgia football and women’s basketball. A Georgia graduate, he has been a Baseball Hall of Fame voter since 2013.