ATLANTA -- If the Mets could take any whiff of optimism from their 5-1 loss to the Braves on Tuesday, it was the image of Francisco Lindor appearing in the on-deck circle with two outs in the ninth.

For much of the game at Truist Park, Lindor stayed warm, swinging a bat in an indoor cage to see how his body would tolerate that activity. Lindor hasn¡¯t been a regular player for the Mets since Sept. 13, when he injured his back in a game in Philadelphia, and he hasn¡¯t appeared in any part of a game since Sept. 15.

In recent days, he¡¯s begun describing his injury in more graphic language. Lindor recently revealed that he underwent a facet joint injection as part of his treatment.

But he¡¯s also felt less and less discomfort with each passing day. By the ninth inning Tuesday, Lindor felt well enough to ask manager Carlos Mendoza for an at-bat. Mendoza later confirmed that if Tyrone Taylor¡¯s spot had come up in the order, Lindor would have pinch-hit to make his first appearance in nine days.

If nothing changes for the worse, Lindor is ¡°in play¡± to return to the starting lineup on Wednesday, Mendoza added.

¡°He was good enough to play today,¡± the manager said.

The Mets still don¡¯t know exactly what¡¯s causing Lindor¡¯s back pain, only that it¡¯s been severe enough to prevent him from taking the field. Initially, team trainers diagnosed Lindor with spasms, the product of an awkward play around the second-base bag on Sept. 13. A subsequent MRI and CT scan revealed no structural damage, but continued pain in the area prompted Lindor to hang back in New York and receive a bone scan during the team¡¯s off-day on Monday. That, too, showed nothing amiss, underscoring that this is a pain-tolerance issue for Lindor.

So long as he feels well enough to play, he can play.

¡°The MRI showed no structural damage. It¡¯s just pain,¡± Lindor said. ¡°So then we went to get into, ¡®Let¡¯s check out the bones,¡¯ and there¡¯s no damage to them. So for me, it¡¯s just pain. I¡¯ve just got to find a way to let go.¡±

To that end, Lindor spent his pregame hours going through a host of baseball activities, including baserunning drills and batting practice. He ran at a relatively high intensity and even hit multiple balls into the Chop House seating area behind the Truist Park right-field wall. But Lindor also spent time wearing an extra-large heating pad around the clubhouse and describing in detail the discomfort he was feeling.

Weather could play a role in his return, as the Mets and Braves are likely to play in wet conditions Wednesday if they¡¯re able to play at all. That could delay Lindor¡¯s return out of an abundance of caution, even if he continues to feel better.

All the Mets know is they¡¯ll be eager to have their MVP candidate back whenever he¡¯s able to make it happen.

¡°It would be great. It would be amazing,¡± teammate Brandon Nimmo said. ¡°I would love to see him be able to be himself. That¡¯s going to be the big tell -- is if he¡¯s himself or if he¡¯s playing through some pain or what it may be. ¡­ I just want him to do what¡¯s best for him, because that will be what¡¯s best for us. If he got out on the on-deck circle, then I have all the faith that he felt good enough to get out there.

¡°He¡¯s an MVP-type player, and we would love to have that. But also, we have to kind of prepare like we¡¯re not going to.¡±