Francisco Alvarez was finally starting to figure it out at the plate, yet he will not play for the foreseeable future.
The New York Mets starting catcher is going on the injured list with a UCL strain in his thumb that he sustained in Sunday night’s win over the Seattle Mariners.
Alvarez injured his right thumb diving into second base while legging out his second double while leading off the bottom of the seventh inning in New York’s 7-3 win in the MLB Little League Classic in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
He stayed in the game initially before backup Luis Torrens took over in the top of the eighth.
The Mets announced Alvarez will be re-evaluated in 10-14 days before they make any additional assessed him further. Alvarez is slashing .265/.349/.438 with seven homers and 24 RBIs and 24 runs scored this season.
What Happened To Francisco Alvarez?
Alvarez is having a career year, but it has not been without the requisite drama of playing for the Mets.
He has played just 56 games and made only 209 plate appearances, due to a combination of injuries and inconsistency has kept him away from the big-league club.
Alvarez injured his hamate bone in his left hand in spring training that kept him from playing in the majors until April 25. Then, he went back to Triple-A Syracuse on June 21 after posting only a .652 OPS and just three homers in 35 games.
It was hard for him this year,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said on the BetMGM “Foul Territory” show Monday. “We got a point where we had to send him back to the minors, and to his credit, he didn’t pout. He went right to work.”
But Alvarez has been on fire in the second half. He has already surpassed his first-half home run total (4), has cut down on his strikeouts and posted a 1.054 OPS while putting up 40 total bases in just 21 games.
His hot streak has come amid the Mets cratering, since they are just 4-14 in their past 18 games. New York holds a narrow one-game advantage over the Cincinnati Reds for the third and final NL wild-card spot, and Baseball Reference gives it just a 57.1 percent chance of making the playoffs.
What Did Carlos Mendoza Say About Francisco Alvarez’s Injury?
Though he is primarily renowned for his offensive prowess, Mendoza cited Alvarez’s commitment to all facets of catching.
He has improved defensively, and Mendoza mentioned how personally he has taken New York’s pitching struggles. New York’s pitchers have a 4.60 ERA and 1.40 WHIP over the past 28 days, where the Mets have gone 9-14.
“Just the energy and how invested he is in the pitching staff and how much he cares about those guys,” Mendoza said, “He takes it personal when we’re not pitching well.”
The Mets losing Alvarez for at least the next two weeks — when they only have 38 games left in the season — was catastrophic to their manager.
“Since he’s been here, he’s been a completely different player,” Mendoza said. “We’re just kind of praying right now, because he’s a big part of this team and we’re just hoping for the best.”
Francisco Alvarez Lands On Injured List With Thumb Injury