The New York Mets will be without Francisco Alvarez once again, as the catcher was placed on the injured list Tuesday with a right thumb injury, per Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
The move comes with six weeks left in the regular season and the Mets barely holding on to the final wild-card spot in the National League.
Alvarez injured the thumb while diving headfirst into second base during Sunday’s 7-3 victory over the Seattle Mariners. Though he initially stayed in the game, backup Luis Torrens took over behind the plate the following inning.Â
This marks the 23-year-old’s second trip to the IL this year and the third significant absence of his young career tied to hand injuries.
After a rough start that led to a demotion to Triple-A Syracuse in June, he had returned in July looking rejuvenated at the plate. In 21 games since rejoining the club, Alvarez posted a 1.054 OPS with four home runs, providing a much-needed spark in the middle of the order.
Alvarez has dealt with hand issues before, including a left thumb sprain that required surgery last season and a fractured hamate bone suffered in spring training that delayed his 2025 debut until late April.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to [email protected].