Originally expected to miss six to eight weeks, Francisco Alvarez is already defying the timeline set for him after he tore his right meniscus midway through May. He recently chalked it up to having a “different mindset,” and whether that’s the true nature of his recovery, you have to give it to him: Playing in games less than a month removed from that kind of surgery is simply not normal.
And Alvarez continues to check boxes on his way back to the Mets. After beginning his rehab assignment on June 2 and going 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles, he caught an entire game for the first time on Sunday, helping guide Triple-A Syracuse to a 4-3 win over Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
Alvarez also went 1-for-3 at the plate with a walk. His hit was another line drive that found outfield grass, leaving the bat at 92.1 mph.
"I mean, it’s crazy that this guy is already playing in games and looking the way he’s looking right now,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said.
Alvarez has caught in all four of his rehab games thus far, going six innings, seven innings, seven innings and nine innings, respectively. The 24-year-old had off days built in after his first and third appearances, but back-to-back games with seven innings behind the plate was an important milestone.
Before tearing his meniscus on a swing, Alvarez was the Mets’ unquestioned starting catcher. He was slashing .241/.317/.393 slash line with four home runs in 37 games. Luis Torrens has taken over starting duties in Alvarez’s absence, with Hayden Senger playing once or twice per week as his backup.