Good news, Mets fans: Francisco Alvarez is starting a rehab assignment Wednesday.
The catcher’s right thumb isn’t giving him any issues, and he’s able to grip a bat and throw a ball without pain, which should allow him to continue playing this season.
“It’s surprising. I thought initially, when I got injured, that there would be more pain, or there would be just like a level of discomfort,” he said Tuesday through a team translator. “But up until this point, there’s been none of that.”
While the injury will require surgery, the fact that he doesn’t have any pain will allow him to put it off until the offseason. Barring any setbacks in minor league rehab games, this gives the Mets an impact bat for the final month of the season. Since returning from a minor league tune-up of sorts in July, Alvarez has had an OPS over 1.000, regaining his power and finding his stride with runners on base. Alvarez drove in 11 runners in August alone before going on the injured list a week ago.
There was some initial fear that his season could be over. Alvarez tore the UCL on his left thumb early last season and was out for nearly two months after surgery. Had the sprain on the UCL of his other thumb been worse, he would have required immediate surgery to stabilize his thumb once again.
The Mets and Alvarez are hopeful they caught a break this time.
“I knew initially that it was a serious injury because it was one of those injuries that, the moment that hit it, you feel it right away,” Alvarez said. “Then I realized that there was something wrong, like the feeling on my hand. So, yeah, I knew how serious it was.”
The Mets aren’t yet sure how long he’ll be playing minor league games yet, still needing to see how he handles defensive duties, but he could be back as soon as the weekend series against the Miami Marlins.
SEPTEMBER ROTATION
While the Mets know they’ll insert a sixth starter into the rotation Friday when they call up right-hander Jonah Tong, they have not yet mapped out their pitching plans for September. It’s tough for them to do so right now, with the starters still going only 4-5 innings on most days, and teams out of contention are likely to throw rookies or relievers to save their star arms.
President of baseball operations David Stearns said the club will go “turn-by-turn” for now, not wanting to look too far forward.
“We’re going turn by turn at this point,” he said. “It’s going to be a combination of what the matchups are, who we think matches up well, how our guys are throwing, who needs rest and who doesn’t need rest. I think in September, we try not to plan too far ahead.”
However, after Kodai Senga gave up three earned runs in only four innings Monday night against the Philadelphia Phillies, the Mets recognized a need to give him and others an extra day of rest, leading to the decision to promote Tong for Friday’s game. Senga is 7-5 with a 2.73 ERA in 21 starts overall this season, but since returning from the injured list, he’s posted a 5.23 ERA with a 6.12 FIP in seven starts. The Mets are 4-3 in those starts, and the right-hander has been charged with two losses.
In four career starts on regular rest, Senga is 1-0 with a 5.09 ERA. On five days of rest, he has a 2.70 ERA in 34 starts.
“Performance matters,” said manager Carlos Mendoza. “We’re to a point where we’ve got to see performance. And that was a conversation with him. We need him because he’s an ace. We’ve seen it in the past, but we haven’t been able to get that consistency.”
9/11 SUBWAY SERIES
The Mets and Yankees will once again face off on Sept. 11 next season, commemorating the 25th anniversary of the nation’s largest terrorist attacks. The two teams last played one another on 9/11 in 2021 to mark the 20th anniversary of the attacks, bringing back several members of the 2001 teams for what was ultimately a momentous day of remembrance and healing, especially with the game coming toward the end of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We know the meaning of September 11 here, you feel it around the city,” Mendoza said. “To be able to have the two teams playing at the same time is pretty special with the ceremonies. You just can feel it. It’s a different day here in New York, and now we get to do it in the Bronx.”
