New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez recently underwent surgery to address a torn UCL in his left thumb, as confirmed by the team. Typically, such a procedure necessitates an eight-week recovery period before the player can resume participating in games.
Daniel Álvarez-Montes, reporting for El Extrabase, indicated just before the team’s official announcement that Alvarez anticipated a return sometime in July, aligning with the longer end of the recovery timeline provided by the team earlier.
Manager Carlos Mendoza had hinted at a recovery period ranging from six to eight weeks when the surgery was announced on Saturday, although he emphasized the need for further evaluation post-operation to gauge a more accurate timeline.
Initially placed on the 10-day injured list, Alvarez is expected to be transferred to the 60-day IL once the Mets require a roster spot. His absence is a significant blow to the Mets’ lineup, given his status as one of the team’s prominent power hitters.
Last season, as a 21-year-old rookie, Alvarez belted 25 home runs. However, this season, he had only managed one homer in his first 59 plate appearances, posting a batting line of .236/.288/.364 across 16 games.
In response to Alvarez’s injury, the Mets have added Tomás Nido to the major league roster as his replacement. Nido will serve as the backup to Omar Narváez for the foreseeable future, with the two being the only healthy catchers on the 40-man roster.
Narváez, expected to shoulder the bulk of the catching duties, has struggled since signing a two-year free agent deal, batting .211/.283/.297 in 49 games last season. His struggles have persisted into the current season, where he has started with a batting line of .179/.233/.214 over his first 10 games.
