NEW YORK — The New York Mets reinstated catcher Francisco Álvarez from the 10-day injured list Tuesday ahead of their series opener against the Miami Marlins.
Alvarez has been out since tearing the ulnar collateral ligament in his left thumb while sliding toward second base on April 19 against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He had thumb surgery four days later.
To create roster space for Álvarez, the Mets designated catcher Tomas Nido for assignment. Álvarez was in the starting lineup Tuesday, batting eighth, marking the first time this season that the Mets will field their full projected lineup this season. He joined a team with the third-worst record in the National League, but just 3.5 games out of the final Wild Card spot.
“I’m looking for victories,” Álvarez said. “I come here and I want to win. I play hard to win.”
Alvarez’s injury left a hole in the Mets’ lineup and behind the plate. The 22-year-old catcher, who hit 25 homers as a rookie last season, was hitting .236 with one homer and eight RBIs in 16 games before the injury. Without him, Mets catchers hit .206 with five homers and a .582 OPS in 45 games. The poor results prompted changes.
Two of the home runs were hit by Luis Torrens, acquired from the New York Yankees last week. He replaced Omar Narváez, who was designated for assignment after hitting .154 in 28 games. In six games with the Mets, Torrens hit .313 with a 1.139 OPS – good enough to win the backup catcher for Nido, who became the odd man out with the return of Álvarez.
Nido, 30, spent parts of eight seasons with the Mets after the organization drafted him in the eighth round of the 2012 draft. He hit .229 with three home runs and a .623 OPS in 32 games this season .
“It was a tough time,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. “And I said it last week: We were faced with a very difficult decision here because of the two guys that were playing.”
Alvarez has readjusted into the Mets farm system. He caught nine innings combined Friday and Saturday for Triple-A Syracuse before serving as the designated hitter on Sunday. He was the catcher a week ago with High-A Brooklyn for a combined no-hitter.
Álvarez said he would have no limitations, but would continue to wear a thumb splint for an indefinite period.
“Energy, energy,” Mendoza said when asked what Álvarez offers beyond the skills that made him one of the sport’s top prospects last season. “Not just behind the plate, in the locker room, in the dugout. He’s very intense. He’s on every pitch. He’s on guys all the time. And he’s good to have around.”
