Mets manager Carlos Mendoza announced on Sunday morning that catcher Francisco Alvarez has a fractured hamate bone in his left hand and will be out for 6-8 weeks following surgery.
According to Mendoza, Alvarez felt something in his left hand while swinging during a live at-bat on Saturday.
“It happened yesterday during live at-bats. After the second at-bat, felt something, came in, trainers checked him out, and we sent him for X-rays that showed the fracture,” Mendoza said. “He’s going to have surgery tomorrow. He’s out for 6-8 weeks.”
President of baseball operations David Stearns later confirmed that the Mets expect Alvarez back on the field around the eight-week mark.
“That’s our expectation, 6-8 weeks back in major league competition,” said Stearns. “He’s a catcher and this is his receiving hand, so realistically we’re probably looking towards the longer end of that 6-8 week range. I think that’s probably where we set our expectations.
“We don’t anticipate this being an extremely lengthy injury.”
Showcasing a new batting stance, Alvarez went 5-for-22 with two RBI and a run scored this spring, recording a .597 OPS.
Sunday’s news is another tough-luck injury for the 23-year-old catcher. Last April, Alvarez tore the UCL in his left thumb while sliding into second base in a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Sustaining the injury on April 19, Alvarez returned to action on June 11, missing about seven-and-a-half weeks.
“It’s a big blow when your starting catcher goes down. But guys will step up,” Mendoza said. “Guys will get opportunities. We feel good with what we have in house. I’m pretty sure David (Stearns) and the group will be looking for outside (options) as well, as he always does. But yeah, you hate to see it… but again, it’s a chance for someone else to step up.”
With Alvarez sidelined to start the season, Luis Torrens will elevate to the starting catcher’s role. That will leave the Mets with an opening at their backup catcher job, and Mendoza mentioned in-house options like Hayden Senger and Jakson Reetz. The Mets also have former first-round pick Kevin Parada and Chris Williams as options, though none of those players are currently on the 40-man roster.
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