Francisco Lindor pitches in for wife's cleanup event as gesture of gratitude: "She supports me all year, so now I’m here for her"

New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor witnesses good support from his wife, Katia, while he's out there on the field. However, in the offseason, the shortstop is fulfilling the initiative taken by his wife, reciprocating the favor from his end.

His wife recently partnered with Players of the Planet and Puerto Rico-based Rescate Playas Borinque to clean the Wilderness Beach, which is situated 15 minutes away from Aguadilla, where Katia grew up. She is part of a community that is dedicated to the restoration and safeguarding of the natural resources of the planet.

Francisco Lindor, along with 100 volunteers, including players from Carlos Beltrán Baseball Academy, participated in the beach cleanup, collecting trash and planting around 200 trees in a bid to preserve the coastline from erosion.

"For me, this is an important moment,” Lindor said via MLB.com. “Katia has always enjoyed doing this kind of work since she was a kid. She supports me all year, so now I’m here for her as well as Puerto Rico."

Fellow MLB players such as Javier Baez and Jose Berrios also joined in on the noble initiative. Before that, they even participated in Saturday night charity softball and home run derby contests.

Players of the Planet was founded by former MLB players Chris Dickerson and Jack Cassel. It was started to safeguard the sustainability of the environment and take such initiatives across the country.

Earlier, the organization joined hands with Atlanta Braves players like Travis d’Arnaud and Matt Olson to plant 100 trees in Atlanta.

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Francisco Lindor likes to use his platform to advocate for environmental issues

Francisco Lindor takes delight in leveraging his stature to advocate for an environmental cause that is close to his wife's heart and takes place on his home island.

He believes that what might seem like a single grain today may result in a green future for the next generation.

“I always have in my mind that while it is good to have, it’s better to give,” Lindor said. “My wife has been working on this along with Players for the Planet and Rescate Playas Borinque. We’re planting something that will give life. One small grain today, and we hope that in the coming years, they will grow much bigger.” [via MLB.com]

Following Hurricane Maria in 2017, Puerto Rico's environmental problem worsened, with higher volumes of trash and waste ending up in landfills. The initiatives taken up by environmental-centric organizations are doing their best to create and sustain a better tomorrow.