Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez's rehab might allow him to rejoin club in London
Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez looks on from the dugout against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Citi Field on Wednesday, May 29, 2024. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
Francisco Alvarez’s ahead-of-schedule rehab pace is such that the Mets are not ruling out having him join the team for their series against the Phillies in London next weekend.
Expected to be out until at least the middle of this month, Alvarez already is hitting the back-to-back minor-league games milestone, playing Saturday and Sunday with Double-A Binghamton. After that, he will have a day off Monday, then play again Tuesday.
And then “he’ll continue his progression,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. The Mets will leave for Europe on Wednesday.
Will Alvarez miss that series?
“We’ll see,” Mendoza said.
Alvarez has been out since tearing a ligament in his left thumb in mid-April. The focus right now: merely playing games and testing his surgically repaired catching hand.
“Just continuing to catch,” Mendoza said. “Obviously, the impact, especially the two-seam from righties, swinging the bat, facing velo. And then just the buildup . . . Just continue to get physically in baseball shape.”
Plan for Scott
The Mets plan to very much limit Christian Scott’s workload during his stint with Triple-A Syracuse, a person familiar with the matter said.
That will involve mostly side work/bullpen sessions, with a couple of starts — at a lower inning/pitch count than usual — on extra rest mixed in.
Music to his ears
Francisco Lindor changed his walk-up music this homestand to an unusual-for-the-ballpark choice: “My Girl,” by The Temptations. Specifically, Lindor went with that opening line: “I’ve got sunshine, on a cloudy day.”
Is that a shout-out to Katia Lindor from her husband, a noted wife guy? Or perhaps symbolism from the so-called Mr. Smile, trying to keep it light during the Mets’ immense struggles?
“It’s a little bit of trying to get the vibes a little bit different,” Lindor said. “I just like the song. My wife likes the song. If the fans vibe to it, fantastic. I’ve been trying to find something that could help me get into a better rhythm in the box.”
Extra bases
When Jose Iglesias replaced Lindor at shortstop in the top of the eighth, it was the first time that Lindor sat out for even an inning since May 2. “He didn’t want to come out,” Mendoza said. “That’s who he is.” . . . Kodai Senga (right shoulder strain) remains in the “light catch” phase of his comeback, Mendoza said, with no plans to advance to mound work . . . The Mets plan to activate Drew Smith (right shoulder soreness) from the injured list Sunday or Monday.
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.
