Acce s the Mets beat like never before Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Mike Puma about the inside buzz on the Mets. PORT ST. LUCIE Francisco Lindor smiled and repeated himself. I just gotta play well in April, Lindor said this week. I gotta play well in April. Thats it. The Mets shortstop is coming off a wondrous season that ended with him finishing second in NL MVP voting and yet he was not an All-Star. Somehow, Lindor has never gone to the Midsummer Cla sic in his four years with the Mets, and last year part of the i sue was his slow start. He hit just .197 with a .639 OPS in March and April (including a 1-for-31 beginning to his season), which meant his year-end numbers were far better than his first Anfernee Hardaway Jersey -half stats. Explore More Francisco Lindor, taking batting practice earlier this spring training, said he is pacing himself this spring training to avoid a slow start and to remain healthy. Corey Sipkin for New York Post Lindor arrived in camp not nece sarily with the goal of starting quickly but of building up slowly. After a at a point he had appeared in all 147 games Lindor hoped to be incremental in preparing his body this spring for a long season. I came in to spring training thinking about not being ready to go from Day 1 [of spring training], Lindor said. Im pacing myself. He has played in five Grapefruit League games but not yet back-to-back a step he reached March 2 last year. Francisco Lindor fields a ground ball during a Mets practice earlier in spring training. Corey Sipkin for New York Post Slightly lengthening the ramp toward playing every day is the lone slight preparation change for Lindor this year. For his career, he has been a relatively slow starter his .753 OPS in March and April is his worst split of the season but he generally begins campaigns far better than he did last year. With health and a quicker start, one of the peculiarities of Lindors tenure in Queens would be fixed. Hopefully, Lindor said about finally cracking what would be his fifth All-Star Game. Well see. Vic Law Jersey