The Mets have had plenty go wrong during the early course of the season, from underperformance to a long list of injuries, but things may be turning around for the 2024 squad.
Despite sitting at eight games under .500 (28-36), the blue and orange are just 3.5 games back of the final wild card and are 6-4 in their last 10 games.
Now, a squad that seems on the up is also getting reinforcements.
Francisco Álvarez is activated from the 10-day injured list
According to Mike Puma for the New York Post, the Mets have activated Francisco Álvarez.
Álvarez has been out of the Mets lineup since April 19, after the Venezuelan native took a tumble rounding first base and jammed his thumb into the dirt.
After undergoing testing, it was revealed that the 22-year-old tore the ulnar collateral ligament in his thumb and required surgery to repair the tear, which he underwent on April 23.
Álvarez has been rehabbing in the Mets farm system and recently appeared in all three games of Triple-A Syracuse’s weekend series, catching a combined nine innings on Friday and Saturday before being the designated hitter on Sunday. Earlier in his rehab, the 22-year-old was behind the plate when High-A Brooklyn threw a combined no-hitter.
Before the injury, Álvarez slashed .236/.288.364 with one home run and eight RBIs through 16 games.
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Which Mets players lost their roster spot?
With Alvarez returning, the Mets had a decision to make at the catcher position, and they opted to go with Luis Torrens over Tomás Nido.
Nido has slashed .229/.261/.361 across 83 plate appearances this season with three home runs and eight RBIs, which aren’t particularly terrible numbers. However, the 30-year-old’s struggles defensively this season (negative four defensive runs saved above average) are probably why they opted to go with Torrens as the backup, as he has been the stronger defender.
After this recent stint in the big leagues, the Puerto Rican native has more than five years of service time, allowing Nido to opt for free agency if he is unclaimed on waivers. The Mets would still be on the hook for the final year of his two-year $2.1 million extension.
If Nido signs with another organization, he can sign at the prorated league minimum, which will slightly get the blue and orange off the hook. However, the Mets will still have to pay a significant part of his salary.