New York Mets catcher Francisco Álvarez missed part of the 2024 MLB season due to injury. Now, before the start of the 2025 season, he’s sidelined again.
At 23 years old, Álvarez being injured for a second straight season isn’t ideal. The Mets struggled without him behind the plate last year, and they hope history doesn’t repeat itself in 2025 as Álvarez was expected to have a big season.
New York Mets Catcher Francisco Álvarez Projected To Miss 6-8 Weeks
Mets catcher Álvarez suffered a fractured hamate bone in his left hand that will require surgery, according to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. He will miss 6-8 weeks and there is potential that he could be out longer than that.
President of baseball operations David Stearns said, “I think that’s probably where we set our expectations. But we would expect him back in Major League competition at that point.”
He will probably play some games in the minor leagues before coming back to the Mets for the 2025 season. Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said, “He’s down, obviously, but it’s not the first time. It sucks for him. He takes it personal and he takes it hard; he cares.”
“We’ll do everything that we can in our power to stay positive with him and get him back on the field as soon as possible,” he continued.
A season ago with New York, Álvarez played in 100 games. He had a .237 batting average with 11 home runs and 47 RBIs along with one stolen base and one caught-stealing attempt. His on-base percentage was .307.
Some Mets fans are concerned about Álvarez’s injury. One Mets fan on X said, “There’s one in each hand. Once that one heals and he gets back in the lineup, the other one will probably break before the end of the season. Too bad you can’t take them both out at the same time.”
Mets fans are known for their frustration when star players get hurt. Another fan said, “Mets fans feel this pain on a regular basis.”
“The Mets were 65-35 with Francisco Alvarez healthy in 2024. They were just 24-38 without him,” said another Mets account.
Another fan added, “New York sports can never catch a break with injuries. Both baseball teams are going to be a M*A*S*H unit by Opening Day. It’s insane.” This is in reference to the New York Yankees‘ own abundance of injuries.
Luis Torrens will be the starting catcher for New York with Álvarez not ready for Opening Day. It will be interesting to see who the backup catcher for the Mets will be behind Torrens.