Mets' Francisco Alvarez in New York City for tests on ankle
Mets minor-league catcher Francisco Alvarez during practice at Clover Park in Port St.Lucie, Fla., on Feb. 18. Credit: Octavio Jones
Francisco Alvarez, the Mets’ top prospect, is in New York City and being evaluated by team doctors after experiencing soreness in his right ankle, a source said Saturday.
The organization is concerned enough that Alvarez will receive several opinions before they make any decisions — including how to treat the problem, whatever it is, and how long they’ll keep Alvarez out of the lineup.
Alvarez, a 20-year-old catcher ranked by MLB Pipeline as the top prospect in all of baseball, has not played since Tuesday, when he had perhaps his best game for Triple-A Syracuse (homer, three RBIs, two walks).
The Mets hadn’t ruled out his promotion to the majors this year, but team officials indicated previously they want to see him excel at the top minor-league level before considering throwing him into a playoff race. Alvarez has not mastered Triple-A, hitting .180/.340/.378 in 32 games. And now his season is paused while he gets his ankle looked at.
Tim Healey is the Mets beat writer for Newsday. Born on Long Island and raised in Connecticut, Tim has previously worked for the South Florida Sun Sentinel, the Boston Globe and MLB.com. He is also the author of “Hometown Hardball,” a book about minor league baseball in the northeast.
