Reinforcements are waiting in the wings for the first-place Mets.
Jeff McNeil (right oblique strain) and Francisco Alvarez (fractured left hamate bone) each continued their respective rehab assignments on April 20 with Double-A Binghamton.
McNeil, batting leadoff and brandishing a “Torpedo” bat, homered for the second consecutive day. He finished the game 4-for-4, playing eight innings at second base. Alvarez, meanwhile, hit directly behind McNeil and went 1-for-5 as the DH -- having previously caught nine innings in back-to-back games.
Sunday marked the sixth game of McNeil’s rehab assignment, and the eighth rehab appearance for Alvarez. While both players are nearing a return to the Majors, their season debuts are not yet imminent.
“Most likely, they will continue to get at-bats,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said on Sunday. “[Alvarez] from the medical standpoint, he’s clear; now he’s just continuing to work on his timing and things like that. Maybe a couple of more games in Triple-A and then we’ll see where we are at. Same thing with [McNeil].”
Both players are slated to be at Citi Field on Monday for further evaluation, as the Mets begin a three-game series against the Phillies.
The eventual additions of McNeil and Alvarez will certainly lengthen New York’s lineup. McNeil slashed .289/.376/.547 with seven home runs after the All-Star break last season, buoyed by a sudden power surge. The 23-year-old Alvarez is just two years removed from blasting 25 home runs as a rookie in 2023.
Luisangel Acuña and Brett Baty have split time at second base in McNeil’s absence, while Luis Torrens has seized the lion’s share of time behind the plate. Notably, McNeil also drew a start in center field last week with Single-A St. Lucie, in the wake of outfielder Jose Siri landing on the IL with a fractured tibia.