CINCINNATI -- Nineteen days after severely spraining a right thumb ligament, and nine days after breaking his left pinky while rehabbing his first injury, Francisco Alvarez -- made of flesh, iron, or some combination therein -- returned to the Mets’ starting lineup.
The Mets activated Alvarez from the injured list on Friday and optioned Hayden Senger to Triple-A Syracuse, restoring their Opening Day catching tandem of Alvarez and Luis Torrens. That’s not to say Alvarez is at full strength. He’s still playing through both injuries, which he shrugged off multiple times when asked about them.
“I don’t have time to think about it, so I just keep going and think about playing and winning,” Alvarez said. “Those are the only two things going through my head right now, so I don’t think about the pain.”
Mets officials are admittedly unsure what Alvarez will be able to provide given that he’s playing through multiple hand injuries, one of which -- the torn thumb ligament -- will need surgery after the season. But given Alvarez’s importance to the team, they’re willing to try. Prior to his injury, Alvarez was slashing .323/.408/.645 with four home runs in 21 games following a brief midseason demotion.
“We have confidence that Alvy is going to do everything he possibly can to get through this, to contribute, to help us win,” Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns said. “But I’d be lying if I said I knew exactly how this was going to play out. This is an injury, and it’s always tough to know exactly how that’s going to progress.”
At his best, Alvarez is a sound defensive catcher who also boasts as much raw power as any backstop this side of the Mariners’ Cal Raleigh. But Alvarez has rarely been at his best over the past two seasons, in large part due to hand injuries. Since last April, Alvarez has torn the UCLs in each of his thumbs, broken multiple bones in his left hand and wrist and undergone multiple surgeries.
“It’s pretty unbelievable,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “When he first went down with the ligament … we’re talking about his season potentially being over. And then a few days later, he’s already taking swings at full go. And then he goes down [to Syracuse], first game gets hit and he’s got a fracture. Two days later, he’s swinging the bat again.
“It’s unbelievable. And then for him to be back here already playing games, you’ve got to give him a lot of credit.”
Alvarez insists his current injuries won’t affect his play. He is wearing a soft splint on his right hand to protect his sprained ligament but nothing on his broken left pinky.
Alvarez doesn’t feel that catching and hitting are significant problems for him. Initially during his rehab assignment, he felt uncomfortable throwing, but that improved noticeably during his final two games with Syracuse.
Stearns and Mendoza will watch closely to determine whether Alvarez looks compromised on the field. If he does, that could result in more playing time for Torrens. If not, Alvarez should play as often as he can remain upright.
“Nobody knows,” Mendoza said. “We’re talking about the ligament and the pinky finger, so there’s a lot going on, but he feels fine. He feels really good. The reports from the coaches in Triple-A, there’s no hesitation with him swinging the bat, throwing the ball. So I’m just excited to have him back here.”