Francisco Alvarez, catcher for the New York Mets, wants to return to the organization in time for a postseason run. Due to several injuries and on-field difficulties, Alvarez has only made 56 appearances for New York this season. After suffering a fresh hand injury in his first rehab game, the fourth-year veteran was just sent to Triple-A while he heals from a sprained thumb.
Alvarez’s escalating history of hand injuries continued when he was struck by a pitch, breaking his left pinky. The Mets were optimistic that the latest injury would only cause a two to three day delay in the backstop’s rehab assignment.
According to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com, that timeframe turned out to be accurate as Alvarez made his comeback to the starting lineup for the Mets’ Triple-A club in Syracuse on Saturday. Three days after breaking his finger, he is back on the field.
Francisco Alvarez back at work in Mets rehab after latest hand injury
Despite a lot of disappointments this season, Alvarez keeps going. Due to a fractured left hamate bone he suffered during batting practice in March, he started the season on the injured list. The Mets relegated Alvarez to the minor leagues in June, even though he made his 2025 debut on April 25. The 23-year-old catcher had a rough start to the season, hitting.236 in his first 35 games with an OPS of.652.
At the end of July, Alvarez was called up by the Mets after a solid showing in the minor leagues. After rejoining the major leagues, he continued to bat hot until August 17, when he sprained his right thumb. During a headfirst slide into second base against the Seattle Mariners, the catcher sustained an injury.
Alvarez decided to play through the injury rather than have surgery in the hopes of helping New York make a postseason run. After being cleared to start a rehabilitation assignment due to a thumb injury, he experienced his most recent setback during his first game.
Alvarez, who is currently recuperating from a fractured left pinky and a damaged right thumb, will return to Triple-A rehab on Saturday. It would be extremely beneficial for the club if he could return to the lineup in time for a postseason run.
On Friday, though, New York’s offense appeared to be playing well. The Miami Marlins were thrashed 19–9 by the Mets, making team history. In his big league debut, rookie Jonah Tong won the game with plenty of run assistance from New York. After falling to Miami in the series opener on Thursday, the Mets scored a team-high 19 runs in their home game.
