The red-hot New York Mets will be without one of their most important players.
The Mets placed second-year catcher Francisco Alvarez on the 15-day injured list Saturday because of a sprained left thumb. New York added veteran catcher Tomás Nido from Triple-A Syracuse. Nido, who has been with the organization since the Mets drafted him in 2012, served as the club’s starting catcher for much of 2022 and is known for his defense. To make room on the 40-man roster for Nido, the Mets designated pitcher Kolton Ingram for assignment.
The injury occurred Friday night during the Mets’ 9-4 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers when Alvarez appeared to jam his thumb while rounding first base in the second inning. Alvarez stumbled after making the turn toward second base and pressed his thumb into the ground in an attempt to stay on his feet. He reached second base before quickly calling out to the Mets’ dugout in obvious discomfort. Omar Narvaez replaced Alvarez in the bottom of the inning.
After dropping their first five games of the season, the Mets (11-8) have played considerably better over the last couple of weeks, riding steady contributions from several players. The Mets have won five straight games. However, losing Alvarez for a stretch is a tough blow.
Alvarez hadn’t gotten off to a sizzling start — he has a .652 OPS with one home run through 59 plate appearances — but he’s a key presence in the middle of the Mets’ batting order. Last year, Alvarez hit 25 home runs as a rookie. At the plate, Alvarez brings fun energy and power. Though the Mets haven’t had much trouble scoring, they are also waiting on designated hitter J.D. Martinez to join them and third baseman Brett Baty (day to day) to fully heal from a hamstring issue.
Behind the plate, Alvarez, 22, has quickly shown leadership traits despite his inexperience. He has managed the pitching staff well and prioritized being more vocal during the game-planning process. However, the Mets have failed to control much of the opposing team’s running game whether it’s been Alvarez or Narvaez catching,
Without Alvarez, the Mets will lean on Narvaez and Nido. Narvaez, a left-handed batter, has a .541 OPS after 25 plate appearances this season after producing just a .580 OPS with two home runs last year, his first with the Mets. Narvaez and Nido started last year as the Mets’ catching tandem before Alvarez supplanted them. Nido, a strong defender during his time in the organization, hasn’t played in a major-league game since June 3.
(Photo of Francisco Alvarez: Brian Rothmuller / Icon Sportswire via Associated Press)
