CLEVELAND — Well, that did not take long.
In just his second game of the 2019 regular season, Cleveland Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor blasted a solo home run over the wall in left field to provide one of the bright spots in an 11-5 loss to the Atlanta Braves at Progressive Field in a game that was broadcast on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball.
With one out in the bottom of the seventh inning, Lindor stepped the to plate and quickly found himself in a good hitter’s count at 3-1. Lindor sat on a four-seam fastball from Braves left-handed starter Max Fried and belted it 368 feet onto the Home Run Porch in left field.
Lindor went one for four with one run scored and one RBI before being pulled from the game.
Since returning from a calf strain and sprained ankle, Lindor has registered two hits in nine at-bats with two runs scored and one RBI.
Lindor was activated from the injured list on Saturday morning after missing the first three weeks of the 2019 regular season. After sitting out the first game of the traditional doubleheader with the Braves, Lindor made the start at shortstop and served as the leadoff hitter in the nightcap.
Last season, Lindor led the Indians with 183 hits and 42 doubles, was tied for third in triples, third in runs batted in and second with 38 home runs. Lindor set a club record for lead-off home runs, as he started nine games with round-trippers in 2018.
Also, the 38 home runs were a Major League record for switch-hitting shortstops.
Through 576 games over his first four-plus years with the Indians, Lindor has collected 667 hits, including 138 doubles, 13 triples and 99 home runs, with 311 runs batted in, 379 runs scored and 214 walks drawn against 359 strikeouts. Additionally, Lindor has stolen 71 bases in 91 attempts.
Lindor has a .288 career batting average with .349 on-base, .486 slugging and .835 on-base-plus-slugging percentages.
