The New York Mets have suffered a significant setback during spring training, as starting catcher Francisco Alvarez will be sidelined for Opening Day and beyond.
Manager Carlos Mendoza announced to reporters on Sunday that the 23-year-old catcher will require surgery to repair a fractured left hamate bone in his hand, sidelining him for an estimated six to eight weeks.
Alvarez, once the organization’s top minor league prospect, entered the 2025 season with high expectations. Unfortunately, his campaign is off to a challenging start, not only for him but also for the Mets.
New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez plays catch during a spring training workout at Clover Park.
“It’s always tough to see one of your guys go down like that,” Mendoza said of Alvarez. “But we have to keep moving forward. No one is going to feel sorry for us—every team deals with injuries. We’ll get him back.”
Mendoza confirmed that Alvarez will undergo surgery on Monday after injuring his hamate bone during live at-bats on Saturday.
For baseball players, a hamate bone injury can be tricky, often leading to a temporary dip in power at the plate—an area where Alvarez excels. After hitting 25 home runs in 2023, the Mets were hoping for more than 11 from him in 2024. But when he makes solid contact, he’s proven he can launch the ball with authority.
It remains to be seen whether this injury will affect Alvarez’s power at the plate.
Beyond his hitting, Alvarez is also a strong defensive catcher with a cannon for an arm and solid framing skills. Since his left hand is his catching hand, a thorough rehab process will be crucial to ensure he can handle high-velocity pitches without issue.
In the meantime, Mendoza and the Mets will have to lean on Alvarez’s backup, Luis Torrens, a veteran considered a defense-first man behind the dish.
New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez hits a single against the Washington Nationals at Cacti Park of the Palm Beaches.
Torrens joined the Mets in 2024 after being traded from the Seattle Mariners. In 47 games, he posted a .229/.292/.373 slash line with a .665 OPS, hitting three home runs and driving in 15 runs.
This isn’t the first significant setback for the Mets ahead of Opening Day, as their starting rotation has already taken some hits.
Sean Manaea, who earned a three-year deal to return after a strong 2024 season, strained his oblique and won’t be ready for the start of the regular season.
Meanwhile, Frankie Montas, signed in free agency to add depth to the rotation, strained his right lat on Feb. 17 and is expected to miss six to eight weeks.
Adding to the Mets’ injury woes, utilityman Nick Madrigal—brought in to provide versatility in Mendoza’s lineups—will miss the entire 2025 season after suffering a dislocated and fractured left shoulder.
While this is hardly the news the Mets were hoping for, they’ve proven they can navigate adversity. Their resilience in 2024 led to a thrilling second-half surge, culminating in a postseason run that ended in the NLCS against the eventual World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers.
New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez runs to first base after hitting a single against the Houston Astros at Clover Park.
Of course, New York emerged victorious in the historic bidding war for Juan Soto this offseason, signing him to a record-breaking 15-year, $765 million deal—the largest contract in MLB history.
Soto joins a stacked lineup featuring star shortstop Francisco Lindor, Brandon Nimmo, Starling Marte, Mark Vientos, and Pete Alonso, who ultimately re-signed with the Mets.
