Francisco

Alvarez

Torrens will get some extra time off to rest and recover after taking a foul ball to the groin area over the weekend. It’ll be Francisco Alvarez handling the catching duties for the second straight game. It sounds like there’s a strong possibility he’s back in the lineup at some point this week without requiring a trip to the injured list.

Torrens is feeling better after taking a foul ball to the groin area during Sunday’s showdown against the Cubs. He’ll get some extra time to continue resting and recovering with Francisco Alvarez handling the catching duties during Monday’s series opener at Citi Field.

Alvarez delivered an RBI single off of Andre Pallante in the third inning that increased the Mets’ early lead to 4-2. That would wind up being the extent of their offense though. He has swung a hot bat since being activated from the injured list in late April, slashing .286/.375/.429 with one homer and seven RBI in his first 32 plate appearances.

Playing his second game of the season after missing time with a hamate bone fracture, Alvarez delivered a two-run blast off Brad Lord in the second inning to drive in the only two runs of the game. The 23-year-old backstop’s return provides a spark for a team that’s already off to a great start at 19-8. His power potential warrants interest in most one-catcher formats at least 12 teams and deeper.

The Mets reinstated both Alvarez and Jeff McNeil off the 10-day injured list. Alvarez missed just-under a month with his hamate bone fracture, and now will return to handling everyday backstop duties for the Mets. Don’t be surprised if there’s some ups and downs with the 23-year-old, but he’s worthy of roster consideration in a large amount of formats because of his position and power.

With Francisco Alvarez expected to be activated from the injured list on Friday, Senger was no longer necessary as a depth piece on the team’s active roster. The 28-year-old backstop hit just .179 (5-for-28) with zero RBI and a 9/1 K/BB ratio in his limited action with the Mets.

Alvarez, on the IL with a fractured hamate bone, is 7-for-35 with a homer through nine minor league games. His activation will send Hayden Senger back to Triple-A, with Luis Torrens returning to a backup role.

The most important takeaway here is that Alvarez was able to catch the entire game without any issues. The 23-year-old backstop has been on the shelf since early March recovering from surgery to repair a hamate fracture in his left hand. We’re anticipating he’ll return to fortify New York’s catching situation in the coming days.

It’s worth noting that Alvarez was hit by a pitch on his surgically-repaired left hand in the late stages of the game, but managed to remain in the contest. He spent six innings behind the plate in this one. He figures to be ready to rejoin New York’s lineup at some point in the coming days, but will likely need a couple additional rehab games to get back up to speed.

Alvarez went just 1-for-10 in three games with Low-A St. Lucie, but he stayed healthy and caught 20 innings, and that’s all that matters. He’ll get in a few rehab games at Double-A, and then the Mets will decide if they want to activate him or give him some time at Triple-A.