Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor began a Minor League rehab assignment on Friday, going 1-for-4 while playing six innings at shortstop for Double-A Binghamton.
It marked Lindor's first game action since April 22, when he strained a left calf muscle that has sidelined him since.
In his first at-bat, Lindor -- hitting from the left-hand side -- snuck a single into right-center field past a diving Nick Goodwin, who was manning second base. Lindor came around to score the game's first run two batters later.
Lindor flew out twice and struck out in his final three at-bats.
Lindor is slated to play in a second rehab game on Sunday, either with Binghamton or Triple-A Syracuse, weather dependent. From there, the Mets will evaluate his progress. If all goes well, Lindor could be activated after just two rehab appearances, since he's received regular at-bats and ground balls while playing simulated games at Citi Field over the past week and a half.
"This is a guy that knows himself better than anybody," Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said on Thursday. "He's going to let us know if he needs more at-bats, or physically how he's feeling, and we'll go from there."
Lindor, 32, was hitting .226 with a .669 OPS in 24 games before landing on the IL.
The Mets have gone 26-25 in Lindor's absence. They surely could use the five-time All-Star in the lineup as they attempt to claw their way back into the NL playoff picture.
Lindor was not the only Mets player to begin a rehab assignment on Friday. Outfielder Tyrone Taylor, sidelined since May 26 with a hip flexor strain, went 2-for-3 with a solo home run while playing five innings in center field.