The Mets optioned Alvarez to Triple-A Syracuse on Wednesday.
Though Alvarez remains the Mets' long-term plan at catcher, he had been splitting time behind the plate and at designated hitter this spring while easing his way back from the ankle surgery he underwent last October. Alvarez is expected to see the bulk of his starts at catcher early in the season at Triple-A, and if he's able to acquit himself well defensively while continuing to draw walks and hit for power, he may not have to wait long for a call-up to the big leagues. The Mets brought in Omar Narvaez in free agency on a two-year deal over the winter, but he took a major step back with the bat in 2022 and is viewed as a placeholder until Alvarez is deemed ready for the full-time catching job.
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Mets' Francisco Alvarez: To play catcher Friday
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Alvarez (ankle) will make his first Grapefruit League appearance at catcher Friday against the Nationals, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.
Alvarez has been limited to DH duties over the Mets' first handful of spring games as he completes his recovery from October ankle surgery, but the restrictions are ready to be lifted. The 21-year-old top prospect is on track to become a key contributor for New York at some point in 2023, probably after one more short stay at Triple-A Syracuse.
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Mets' Francisco Alvarez: Likely to catch games by Friday
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Mets manager Buck Showalter announced that Alvarez (ankle) will likely get a chance to catch in a Grapefruit League game by the end of the week, Pat Ragazzo of Sports Illustrated reports.
The Mets are being cautious with Alvarez after their top prospect underwent ankle surgery in the offseason. The backstop has appeared as a designated hitter in Florida, but he'll likely get a chance to be behind the plate by the end of the week. Alvarez has a chance to be a star fantasy contributor, yet he's likely to begin the 2023 season at Triple-A Syracuse.
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Mets' Francisco Alvarez: Expected to begin year at Triple-A
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Alvarez will likely begin the season with Triple-A Syracuse, Abbey Mastracco of The New York Daily News reports.
The Mets have two more experienced catchers ahead of him on the depth chart in Omar Narvaez and Tomas Nido, so the club figures to send Alvarez back to the minors to work on his defense and gain some confidence. The 21-year-old is fully recovered from October ankle surgery however, and a big spring could force the organization to re-consider its plans for the top prospect. "You always want players to make you think about what if?" manager Buck Showalter said Friday. "Not everybody in camp can make the club, that's just how it is. But we know Nido and Omar are going to be our catchers and we'll see where Francisco fits in that mix." Even if he isn't on the Opening Day roster, Alvarez figures to be back in the majors at some point this season, potentially seeing at-bats at DH in addition to his work behind the plate.
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Mets' Francisco Alvarez: Undergoes surgery
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Alvarez underwent surgery on his right ankle Thursday, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.
The surgery was done to address the cartilage damage Alvarez suffered in late August, when he was still playing at Triple-A Syracuse. The procedure was an option at the time Alvarez suffered the injury, though he opted to play through it in the short term. Alvarez is expected to be fully healthy for spring training, when he'll have the chance to compete for a roster spot to break camp with the big-league club. He'll maintain rookie eligibility in 2023 after appearing in only five games for the Mets late in the season.
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Mets' Francisco Alvarez: Launches first career homer
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Alvarez went 2-for-2 with a double and a solo home run in the second game of Tuesday's doubleheader against the Nationals.
The Mets scored seven runs in the first inning of the nightcap en route to an 8-0 win, so they emptied the bench in the sixth inning. Alvarez took over behind the plate and collected his first big-league hit by taking Carl Edwards deep to lead off the bottom of the frame. It's not yet clear whether New York plans on keeping the 20-year-old on its playoff roster as a bench bat, but Alvarez at least gave the team a glimpse of what he's capable of if he does stick around.
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Mets' Francisco Alvarez: Officially promoted Friday
Rotowire
Alvarez was called up to the Mets' big league roster and is set to make his major-league debut Friday against Atlanta, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.
The 20-year-old catching prospect has slashed .233/.382/.440 through 199 plate appearances in Triple-A Syracuse. He might not provide an immediate impact, but he'll gain some valuable experience heading into 2023. Alvarez will serve as the Mets' designated hitter Friday and bat seventh.
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Mets' Francisco Alvarez: Set to join big-league club
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Alvarez will join the Mets' big-league roster Friday, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports.
The Mets are in the thick of a tight race for the NL East crown despite a major weakness at the catcher position. James McCann owns a .519 OPS on the season, while Tomas Nido's .598 OPS isn't much better. Exactly what kind of boost the 20-year-old Alvarez can provide right away is unclear, though he's one of the highest-rated catching prospects in the league and has hit .260/.374/.511 with 28 homers in 112 games across the two highest levels of the minors this season, so he certainly has the potential to make an impact.
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Mets' Francisco Alvarez: Rejoins Triple-A lineup
Rotowire
Alvarez (ankle) returned to the lineup Sunday for Triple-A Syracuse, serving as the club's designated hitter while going 0-for-4 with a strikeout.
Alvarez was back in action for the affiliate after missing nearly three weeks due to a loose body in his right ankle. The Mets' top catching prospect was fortunate to avoid surgery on the ankle and was able to play again before the minor-league season came to a close, but it's unclear if he'll be ready to resume duties behind the plate at any point during the next two weeks. Alvarez's recent absence due to the ankle issue might have been enough to halt any momentum he might have built for a promotion to the big leagues in 2022.
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Mets' Francisco Alvarez: Avoiding surgery on ankle
Rotowire
The Mets announced Thursday that Alvarez has been diagnosed with a loose body in his right ankle but won't need surgery to address the injury, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.
Alvarez, who hasn't played for Triple-A Syracuse since Aug. 23, will instead receive a pain-killing injection in the ankle with the hope of resuming baseball activities in 3-to-4 days. If the injection yields the desired effect and Alvarez responds well to workouts, he could slot back into the Triple-A lineup by mid-September. The time that Alvarez has missed in addition to his lackluster numbers at Syracuse since receiving a promotion from Double-A Binghamton in early July makes it unlikely that he'll get the call up to the Mets before the end of the season, even though the big club has received little production from catchers James McCann and Tomas Nido.
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Mets' Francisco Alvarez: Injures ankle, may be done for 2022
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Alvarez hasn't played for Triple-A Syracuse since Tuesday due to a right ankle injury and could be at risk of missing the rest of the 2022 season, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports. The 20-year-old is scheduled to undergo testing in New York in the coming days, but the Mets fear the backstop may need surgery, according to Michael Mayer of MetsmerizedOnline.com reports.
Even if Alvarez is able to avoid surgery and makes his return to the Triple-A lineup at some point before season's end, the time missed due to injury could be enough to take him out of consideration for a promotion to the big club in September ahead of a potential playoff push. The Mets have gotten limited offensive production this season from their top two backstops (Tomas Nido and James McCann), and Alvarez -- who has produced a .715 OPS as the youngest player at Triple-A since his early July promotion from Double-A Binghamton -- might have offered an upgrade. At this stage, however, the Mets' top priority is likely ensuring Alvarez is fully healthy for spring training, at which point he could have a chance at earning a spot on the Opening Day roster.
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Mets' Francisco Alvarez: Working through Triple-A struggles
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Alvarez went 2-for-3 with a homer, two walks, three RBI and two runs in his most recent game for Triple-A Syracuse, but he's still hitting just .179/.340/.375 in 32 games since his promotion.
The 20-year-old backstop has seen his power stroke show up only in fits and starts at the highest level of the minors, as Tuesday's long ball snapped a stretch of 11 straight games without any extra-base hits. That said, while his overall stat line with Syracuse is ugly, there are some positives to be found in it. Alvarez has a .209 BABIP in Triple-A that's bound for positive regression, and while his strikeout rate has climbed to an uncomfortable 28.4 percent (from 24 percent in Double-A this year), his walk rate has also spiked to 17.6 percent (from 12.5). It's also worth remembering that Alvarez is exceptionally young for a catching prospect on the doorstep of the major leagues -- for one illustrative example, when Orioles stud rookie backstop Adley Rutschman was Alvarez's age, he was still playing college ball.
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Mets' Francisco Alvarez: Not on radar for promotion
Rotowire
Alvarez will continue his development in the minors and isn't an option to replace James McCann (oblique) on the major-league roster, The New York Daily News reports.
The 20-year-old was only recently promoted to Triple-A, where he's gone 2-for-16 with a double through his first five games. Alvarez's bat will probably wake up before long at Syracuse, but the Mets are more concerned with his development and long-term outlook than in rushing the young catcher to the majors to plug a hole in the roster. Prior to his promotion, the team's top prospect slashed .277/.368/.553 through 67 games for Double-A Binghamton with 18 home runs.
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Mets' Francisco Alvarez: Bumped up to Triple-A
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Alvarez was informed Saturday that he is being promoted to Triple-A Syracuse, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports.
The 20-year-old is expected to join the Mets' top minor-league affiliate Monday. Alvarez finishes his time with Double-A Binghamton with a .277/.368/.553 line, 18 homers and 47 RBI in 67 games -- beyond impressive for his age at that level. Alvarez is widely considered the Mets' top prospect and one of the top catching prospects in all of baseball. If he picks up where he left off, Alvarez could get a look in Queens before the end of the 2022 season.
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Mets' Francisco Alvarez: Power outage in Double-A lately
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Alvarez is hitting .248/.339/.438 with four homers and a 14:31 BB:K across 28 games for Double-A Binghamton.
He hit all four of those homers in his first six games of the season and has managed none since, with an ugly .210/.313/.272 line across his last 22 contests. That said, Alvarez has been showing signs of emerging from the slump recently, as he actually has a six-game hitting streak going during which he's hit .409 with a couple doubles. If he can keep that up, we might see him come up at some point this season, especially if James McCann's wrist injury lingers or further injuries hit the Mets' catcher corps; however, Alvarez is just 20 years old and would be best served by additional minor-league development time.
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Mets' Francisco Alvarez: Sent to minor-league camp
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The Mets sent Alvarez to minor-league spring training Monday, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.
Alvarez was in big-league camp with the Mets but never had a realistic chance of making the Opening Day roster. The 20-year-old, who is New York's top prospect, spent most of the 2021 campaign at High-A Brooklyn, where he hit .247/.351/.538 with 22 home runs, 58 RBI and six stolen bases in 84 games. He's likely to start out 2022 with Double-A Binghamton given his success at Brooklyn last season.
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Mets' Francisco Alvarez: Slugs first homer at High-A
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Alvarez went 1-for-5 with a two-run home run for High-A Brooklyn on Tuesday.
The Mets' No. 3 fantasy prospect got promoted from Low-A late last week, and after going 2-for-12 in his first four games at the new level, Alvarez connected on his first homer for the Cyclones and his third in 20 games on the season. The Mets may be reluctant to advance the 19-year-old up the ladder any further this year no matter how well he does for Brooklyn, but he continues to solidify his spot at the team's catcher of the future.
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Mets' Francisco Alvarez: Back in action
Rotowire
Alvarez (lower body) will catch and bat third for Low-A St. Lucie in Thursday's game against the Palm Beach.
Alvarez limped off the field in a May 12 game against Daytona after a collision at the plate, but the injury only proved to be a minor concern for the Mets' top catching prospect. He returned to action three days later, and he's now 3-for-11 in his first three games back in the lineup. Perhaps in a preview of what could become a regular battery down the road, the 20-year-old Alvarez will be catching rehabbing Mets ace Jacob deGrom (side) on Thursday.
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Mets' Francisco Alvarez: Limps off field Thursday
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Alvarez was removed from Thursday's game in the first inning for Low-A St. Lucie after a collision at home plate, Tim Britton of The Athletic reports.
The catcher limped off the field, but initial reports suggest the injury isn't serious. Alvarez was off to a fantastic start to the season, slashing .545/.656/.818 through 11 at-bats with a homer, three doubles and a 9:3 BB:K, and a promotion to High-A this summer seems almost inevitable if the injury doesn't derail his momentum.
