Francisco Alvarez still isn’t expected to make his regular-season debut until sometime in late April, but the injured Mets catcher is continuing to make strides in his recovery.
Prior to Saturday’s rubber game against the Houston Astros, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza shared a positive update on Alvarez, revealing that the 23-year-old participated in receiving drills with soft baseballs while using his surgically-repaired left hand. Mendoza simply called the workout “a good sign.”
Alvarez, who fractured his left hamate bone on March 8 during live at-bats in camp, had stiches removed from his hand on Monday. Mendoza mentioned on Wednesday that baseball activities were on the horizon for Alvarez once strength work began. The latest news suggests that he’s still on track to return on the shorter end of the initial six-to-eight week recovery timeline.
“Maybe six weeks,” Alvarez said on March 12. “My goal is to make that as quick as possible… They said after the third week, maybe I can start hitting. It’s on me. If my body takes more time than normal, maybe take eight weeks. But it’s very on me. If I feel comfortable, if I feel good, I can move quicker.”
Due to the injury, Alvarez was limited to just nine spring training games in which he hit .227 (5-for-22) with five walks, two RBI, and 11 strikeouts. He’s also dealt with a string of bad luck to his left thumb, as he tore a ligament last April against the Los Angeles Dodgers and needed surgery that kept him out of the lineup until mid-June.
Only time will tell how Alvarez’s thumb responds to additional catching and hitting activities, but the Mets are counting on his production in the heart of the lineup. He wound up playing 100 games last season, slashing .237/.307/.403 with 11 home runs, 14 doubles, and 47 RBI in 342 plate appearances.
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