Francisco Alvarez of the Mets underwent surgery to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his left thumb, and is expected to need an eight-week rehab, with a potential return in late June. The injury occurred when the catcher stumbled rounding first base at Dodger Stadium. Although Alvarez initially said he could return in six to eight weeks, the team is taking a conservative approach to ensure his full recovery, especially considering his position and the thumb being on his non-throwing hand.
In Alvarez’s absence, Omar Narvaez and Tomas Nido are handling the catching duties, with Narvaez likely to see more action due to being a left-handed swinger. Alvarez will be allowed to begin baseball activities once he regains 80 percent strength in his thumb. Manager Carlos Mendoza intends to keep Alvarez engaged with the team to ensure he still feels like a contributing member, even while injured.
Meanwhile, Max Kranick was reinstated from the injured list and optioned to Triple-A Syracuse to provide further rotation depth. Joey Wendle started at second base and Jeff McNeil shifted to left field to give the Mets an additional left-handed bat in the lineup. Pete Alonso was close to joining the Mets’ 200 club in terms of home runs, with Darryl Strawberry, David Wright, and Mike Piazza being the only players to have hit at least 200 homers in a Mets uniform.
The Mets had one of the lowest strikeout totals in the major leagues, with 159 strikeouts and a 19.6 percent strikeout rate, as of the latest update. This solid performance in terms of avoiding strikeouts shows good plate discipline for the team. With strong pitching and the potential return of players like Alvarez in the future, the Mets are looking to continue their success and push for a strong season.
