Mets place Francisco Álvarez on injured list

It was a bittersweet night for the New York Mets. The team picked up a feel-good victory over the Seattle Mariners in the Little League Classic, but the celebration was dampened by the loss of starting catcher Francisco Álvarez, who’s now expected to miss at least two weeks.

Manager Carlos Mendoza confirmed late Sunday night (around 10:30 PM EST) that Álvarez has been placed on the 10-day injured list after suffering a sprained right thumb. The injury occurred in the seventh inning when Álvarez slid into second base and came up grimacing in pain.

““At that point, I was just thinking, ‘Don’t mess with it,’ and I basically took the glove off him,” Mendoza told reporters. “I didn’t want to let him even play catch. He’ll be re-evaluated in 10 to 14 days. We’re hopeful it’s nothing long-term, but we’ll know more once the swelling goes down.”

Injuries have plagued Álvarez over the last 12 months. The Guatire, Venezuela native suffered a sprained left thumb in 2024 and was sidelined for a month during this year’s Spring Training with a fractured hamate bone in his left hand.

Who will replace Francisco Álvarez?

The Venezuelan catcher’s loss is significant because, in addition to his great hitting ability, he had a decent .265 batting average after collecting 49 hits in 185 at-bats. Álvarez’s injury means that fellow Venezuelan Luis Torrens will see more action.

Torrens has played in 76 games this year, batting .214 after collecting 44 hits in 206 at-bats. The Mets also recalled Hayden Senger from Triple-A to fill out the roster.

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