Mets activate Francisco Alvarez for Tuesday's game vs. Marlins
Francisco Alvarez #4 of the Mets looks on before the second inning against the Miami Marlins at Citi Field on Tuesday, June 11, 2024. Credit: Jim McIsaac
Mostly, Francisco Alvarez was bored.
After the surgery to repair the torn ligament in his left thumb – an injury that kept him out of the lineup since April 19 – he couldn’t do much of anything except watch the Mets grind through a relatively painful two months.
So yes, despite being ahead of schedule, he was very ready to rejoin the team Tuesday evening against the Marlins.
“I feel very excited,” Alvarez said Tuesday after being officially activated off the injured list. “I feel like everything feels good and I’m happy to be back…I felt bored every day when I started to do my rehab because I couldn’t do anything. When I started to do a little more, I started feeling a little bit better – when I started hitting, throwing, I felt better.”
After over a decade with the organization, Tomas Nido was designated for assignment to make room for Alvarez – meaning Luis Torrens won the backup catcher role after being acquired from the Yankees for cash considerations on May 31. Torrens entered Tuesday slashing .313/.389/.750 with two homers and four RBIs in six games with the Mets.
“Thank you, @mets,” Nido tweeted. “12 years, it was a good run! Wishing the guys nothing but the best!”
Alvarez’s return, meanwhile, should provide a significant power boost to the lineup – particularly since J.D. Martinez’s delayed start to the season meant Tuesday was the first time the two had ever played together. Martinez went into the day having reached base safely in 14 straight games, with a .765 OPS in that stretch.
“It was something we envisioned when we signed J.D.,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “Offensively, the past few weeks, I’ve liked what I’ve seen – one through nine, creating traffic, and to add another bat, that type of caliber – some pop. So yeah, I like it a lot.”
Alvarez played in six rehab games before his return – and even caught a combined no-hitter with Single-A Brooklyn – going 3-for-19 with a homer and three RBIs. He said he had no concerns about his timing despite his long layoff, and will continue catching with a splint on his thumb for at least a few more weeks.
“I feel great,” he said. The splint feels “comfortable now for catching and for hitting.”
Alvarez was in the lineup Tuesday, catching and batting eighth.
Mendoza also praised some of the more intangible benefits of Alvarez’s return.
He brought “the energy – the energy not only behind the plate, but in the locker room and in the dugout," Mendoza said. "He’s very intense. He’s competing every pitch. He’s on the guys all the time and it’s good to have him back."
Cutting Nido was a tough call, but Torrens' recent showcase really couldn't be denied, Mendoza said.
In addition to providing some pop lower in the lineup, Torrens turned a game-ending 2-2-3 double play against the Phillies during the London Series Sunday – something that made him the first catcher to win MLB’s Play of the Week Award since its inception in 2019.
“The way he was playing defensively, some big hits, offensively what he brought to the table” is what earned Torrens the spot, Mendoza said. “We saw a lot of improvement when he was in Triple-A before we got him, receiving wise. It wasn’t an easy [decision], especially with Nido, who’s been in this organization a long time. He means a lot to this team and a lot of the guys in that room, so nothing but respect from him and I wish him the best. He was very professional. Obviously, it’s not an easy conversation, but he respected it.”
Laura Albanese is a reporter, feature writer and columnist covering local professional sports teams; she began at Newsday in 2007 as an intern.
