Metropolitan Catcher Francisco Alvarez Manager Carlos Mendoza told reporters (including Tim Healey on News Day), and manager Carlos Mendoza told reporters. Alvarez will miss the next 6-8 weeks to recover from the program.
It was both an unpopular development for Alvarez and the Mets, marking Alvarez’s second straight season with an early injury to his left hand. Last April, Alvarez had a torn thumb ligament and needed surgery, and he ended up missing more than seven weeks. He returned in mid-June, having 10 home runs in 283 sets for the rest of the regular season and hit .237/.311/.411 with 10 home runs, but Alvarez struggled to reach .577 OPS in the 47 PA in the playoffs.
During his time at the New York Farm System, Alvarez was considered one of the highest prospects for the game during his Farm System in New York, releasing almost complete league average production in the Major League Baseball career with 99 WRC+ in his 779 career. Those numbers are still very respectable for the receiver who turned 23 on November 23 last year, and Statcast gave him above average defense (especially his frame) despite his blocks being a lot left in 2024.
If Alvarez will go from solid regular racing to stars in 2025, now it will have to wait until at least the second half of April. Hamate fractures or breaks are common enough that a 6-8 week schedule is more or less for most players, although natural complications may occur when dealing with any manual-related injuries. Normal movements like grasping the bat may become familiar again, and Alvarez’s left hand will also be tested by regularly capturing the court.
With Alvarez Louis Torrence Now he is the top receiver in the Mets depth map. Torrens got a trade with the Yankees last May, with the Mets hitting .229/.292/.373 last season with 130 PA, roughly the same as his career slash as part of the 937 PA and seven major league seasons. Last year, Torrens did a great job of throwing basemen (only 12-23 out of 23 with possible steals), but overall it wasn’t a great defensive player.
Torrens and Alvarez are the only receivers in the New York 40-man lineup, Jakson ReetzEight professional MLB games make him the only backstage in the organization with any major league experience. The Mets are now likely to hope to get another experienced catcher for the rest of the spring training to compete for game time.
These new faces may be in the form of other teams’ players in spring camp, or the club may already be looking to trade non-established invite-on catchers, if the club knew the player would not be part of their opening day plan. Looking for free agent market, former Metropolitan Catcher James McCann Unsigned, can be brought back as a familiar face. Yasmani Grandal It’s also known number for David Stearns, as Grandal played for winemakers in 2019, when Stearns was president of baseball business in Milwaukee.
Alvarez’s Hamate fracture is the latest in a series of injuries that have hit the Metropolitan this spring. Since then the rotation has been sparse Sean Manaea (tilt strain) and Frankie Montas (LAT Nervous) Both will start the season on the injured roster, with backup infielders in addition Nick Madrigal Expect to miss the entire season after having shoulder surgery. Although Alvarez’s injury was less severe, the lack of capture depth made his absence even more tricky.
