Mets Catcher Francisco Alvarez Shares Positive News After Returning From Injury

Francisco Alvarez is officially back for the New York Mets.

The catcher opened up about his return from a torn meniscus, after he made his first appearances in four weeks in the Mets’ 7-0 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday night.

Alvarez batted ninth and caught for the first time since tearing his meniscus on a swing May 12 against the Detroit Tigers. He went 1 for 3 with a single and a strikeout against St. Louis and reported no pain.

The Mets are five games out of the final National League wild-card spot.

Francisco Alvarez is Back With the Mets

Returning from a torn meniscus in just four weeks, especially for a catcher, is an incomprehensible accomplishment, which Mets manager Carlos Mendoza isn’t taking for granted.

“It’s hard to describe, it’s unbelievable,” manager Carlos Mendoza told reporters before the game. “Two days after he had the surgery, I walked in the training room, and he was holding a bat; he was practicing his stance. I was like, ‘Dude, what are you doing? It’s been 48 hours, you already look normal,’ and he’s like, ‘I’m gonna be back soon.’

Yet, perhaps more remarkably, Alvarez is playing pain-free, at least for now.

“I don’t have any pain,” Alvarez said to MLB.com through interpreter Alan Suriel. “About the second or third day, I felt fine. … The trainers deserve all the credit. Right when I had my surgery, they told me just to get a bunch of recovery work in, and I think that was able to expedite the process.”

With the Mets still in the hunt for a wild-card spot, Alvarez’s swift return is something akin to a trade, especially since Mets catchers are tied with the Arizona Diamondbacks for 21st in the majors in wRC+ (78) and 18th in Offensive fWAR (minus-5.8).

“I feel good,” Alvarez said. “I feel 100% ready to go out there. At the end of the day, that’s a decision that Carlos and the trainers will end up deciding. But I feel good, I feel 100% and I feel like I can do my job.”

The Mets are Being Careful With Francisco Alvarez

Alvarez may be feeling great, and he is saying all the right things. But the Mets are still going to take it carefully with their franchise catcher.

“We’ll continue to treat it [carefully],” Mendoza said. “He’ll catch; he’ll DH; he’ll have days off.  We’re going to try to keep Luis [Torrens] in there as much as possible.”

Still, Alvarez is by far the Mets’ best option behind the plate. So, Mendoza said he will be in the lineup when he is available to.

“Keeping in mind the health of the player, especially in [Alvarez’s] case, which he’s dealt with so much in his career,” Mendoza said. “But this guy wants to play.”

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