

WASHINGTON — Just as he’s emerged as one of the New York Mets’ hottest hitters, catcher Francisco Alvarez is headed to the injured list with a right thumb injury sustained in a headfirst slide Sunday night, a source confirmed to The Athletic.
The move was first reported by the New York Post.
Since rejoining the team just after the All-Star break following a demotion to the minor leagues, Alvarez has hit .323 with a .408 on-base percentage and .645 slugging percentage. In just the last week, he collected nine hits in 20 at-bats with three doubles, three homers and nine RBIs.
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Alvarez’s resurgence was a critical development for a Mets team enmeshed in a prolonged malaise. New York’s series win over Seattle was its first in August, and it led Cincinnati by just one game for the final wild-card spot in the National League entering Tuesday.
Alvarez will also now miss next week’s big series between the Mets and first-place Phillies in Queens.
This is the third hand injury Alvarez has suffered in the last two seasons, but the first to his right hand. Last April, he hit the IL after tearing the UCL in his left thumb. That cost him seven weeks. This spring, he fractured the hamate bone in his left hand and missed the first four weeks of the season.
The spring injury, in particular, took a toll on Alvarez’s offense — less from a physical perspective and more because it prevented him from working through his offseason swing changes during exhibition games. It wasn’t until his stint in Triple A that Alvarez landed on a swing that felt more natural to him. The results have followed.
In Alvarez’s absence, Luis Torrens will likely see most of the playing time behind the plate. Torrens is a defensive weapon, especially against potential base stealers, but his offense has floundered of late. He’s hitting .185 with a .467 OPS since Alvarez was demoted in June.
Hayden Senger is the only other catcher on the 40-man roster and will presumably be recalled to back up Torrens.
(Photo of Alvarez: Joe Sargent / Getty Images)
This news was originally published on this post .
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