Down a couple healthy fingers, Francisco Alvarez is expected to give it a go for the New York Mets.
According to the New York Postâs Mike Puma, the star catcher will be activated from the 10-day injured list Friday as the Mets open a critical three-game series in Cincinnati against the Reds.
Alvarez has been on the shelf since Aug. 19 with a sprained UCL in his right thumb, which will eventually require surgery. While rehabbing that injury, Alvarez also fractured his left pinkie.
That the 23-year-old is on the cusp of returning is something of a shock to the Mets, who are clinging to the final National League wild card spot with 22 games remaining.
Alvarez’s Recovery Has Stunned Mets
Alvarez hurt his thumb Aug. 17 on a head-first slide into second base against the Seattle Mariners and initially was given a six-to-eight week timetable for recovery. Alvarez crushed that timeframe.
Hours after he was cleared to resume baseball activities, Alvarez was back in the batting cage. Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said at the time, he couldnât believe it.
âWhen I was looking at it,â Mendoza said, via MLB.com, âI was like, âThereâs no way this guy is swinging the bat.ââ
In a five-game stint with Triple-A Syracuse, Alvarez went 4-for-19 with a grand slam, eight strikeouts and a hit by pitch that broke his pinkie finger.
The Mets will soon find out whether heâs ready to return.
âItâs pretty remarkable what heâs doing,â Mendoza told the NY Post.
Alvarez Was on a Tear Prior to Injury
Alvarezâs thumb injury couldnât have come at a worse time. In 71 plate appearances after returning from a brief demotion to the minors, Alvarez was slashing .323/.408/.645 with four homers and 13 RBI. His OPS in August was 1.059, the highest of any month this season.
Luis Torrens and Hayden Senger have split time behind the plate in Alvarezâs absence, though both are better suited as backups.
Alvarez, who also missed the seasonâs first 25 games with a hamate fracture in his left hand, is hitting .265 with seven homers, 24 RBI and a .787 OPS overall.
His return comes at a crucial time. The Mets went just 11-17 in August despite setting single-month franchise records for home runs (53) and runs scored (177). Theyâve fallen six games behind the Philadelphia Phillies in the NL East but maintain a four-game lead on the last wild card.
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