The Mets optioned Alvarez to Triple-A Syracuse on Sunday.
Alvarez went 2-for-5 with a solo home run and an additional run scored in Saturday's 11-4 win over Philadelphia, but the Mets will still send him to the minors because he's struggled to a .236/.319/.333 slash line and 27.5 percent strikeout rate through 35 contests this season. The 23-year-old started to revamp his swing mechanics over the winter, but his spring training was interrupted by a fractured hamate bone in his left hand, which sidelined him for the first month of the season. The Mets are likely sending Alvarez down to continue working on his swing, and he should return to the big club once he straightens out his plate approach. Hayden Senger was called up from Triple-A in a corresponding move to serve as New York's backup catcher, while Luis Torrens is poised to take over the No. 1 job.
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Mets' Francisco Alvarez: Working through swing changes
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Alvarez is slashing only .191/.286/.265 over his last 20 games with one home run and three RBI, but the Mets believe he's close to emerging from his slump, Tim Britton of the Athletic reports.
The 23-year-old catcher began revamping his swing mechanics in the offseason, but a fractured hamate bone this spring derailed Alvarez's progress, and he's struggled to get comfortable at the plate since coming off the IL. "The past week, I feel like he's hitting the ball in the air, hitting the ball hard - something we didn't see early on when he got back from the injury," Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said Wednesday. "I like some of the takes with some of the breaking balls. I know he's working." The team has had internal discussions about optioning Alvarez to Triple-A until he turns things around, but a lack of catching depth in the organization makes that tricky, especially while he's still contributing defensively. Should that prove to be necessary, Luis Torrens would take over as New York's No. 1 catcher until Alvarez regains his confidence as a hitter.
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Mets' Francisco Alvarez: Exiting starting nine
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Alvarez is absent from the lineup for Wednesday's contest in Atlanta.
Luis Torrens will do the catching and bat sixth as the Mets try to even the series. Alvarez went hitless in Tuesday's game and is 1-for-14 over his last four tilts.
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Mets' Francisco Alvarez: Returns from paternity list
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The Mets activated Alvarez (personal) from the paternity list Thursday.
Alvarez was away from the club for two days while welcoming a new baby. He's back in the lineup for the series finale against the Nationals on Thursday, starting at catcher and batting ninth.
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Mets' Francisco Alvarez: Ends homer drought
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Alvarez went 3-for-5 with a home run and two RBI in Sunday's win over the Rockies.
The 23-year-old backstop took advantage of a road trip to Coors Field, slugging a solo shot in the ninth inning off Zach Agnos. The long ball was the second of the season for Alvarez, snapping a 26-game homer drought during which he'd slashed a tepid .236/.327/.270 with just six RBI. He's been showing signs of life at the plate however, batting .303 (10-for-33) over his last nine contests.
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Mets' Francisco Alvarez: Idle Wednesday
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Alvarez isn't in the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Dodgers.
Alvarez will grab a seat on the bench Wednesday after going 2-for-7 with an RBI across the first two games of the series. Luis Torrens will take over behind the plate and bat ninth.
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Mets' Francisco Alvarez: Not in Wednesday's lineup
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Alvarez is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the White Sox.
Alvarez went 2-for-5 with a walk and a hit-by-pitch in the first two games of the series and will take a seat for Wednesday's finale. Luis Torrens will step in behind the plate to catch for righty Griffin Canning.
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Mets' Francisco Alvarez: Sitting again Sunday
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Alvarez is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Dodgers.
Alvarez will remain on the bench for the second game in a row and the third time in four contests while he's struggled to get going at the plate since being activated from the injured list April 25. Through his first 20 games of the season, Alvarez is hitting .232 with a 29.5 percent strikeout rate and has just three extra-base hits (one home run, two doubles) over 78 plate appearances. Until his bat begins to heat up, Alvarez looks like he could be part of a timeshare behind the plate with Luis Torrens.
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Mets' Francisco Alvarez: Sitting Wednesday
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Alvarez is not in the Mets' starting lineup against the Pirates on Wednesday.
Alvarez will get a breather after going 0-for-6 with a walk and two strikeouts over the first two games of the series. Luis Torrens (groin) will work behind home plate and bat out of the sixth spot Wednesday.
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Mets' Francisco Alvarez: Getting afternoon off
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Alvarez is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Cubs.
Alvarez will receive a breather while the Mets close out their series versus the Cubs with a day game after a night game. Luis Torrens will replace Alvarez behind the dish, forming a battery with starting pitcher Griffin Canning.
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Mets' Francisco Alvarez: Drives in three in Friday's win
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Alvarez went 3-for-5 with three RBI in Friday's 9-3 win over the Cardinals.
While none of the knocks went for extra bases, it was still a strong performance from Alvarez. The 23-year-old backstop is batting .269 (7-for-26) with a double, a homer and six RBI over six games since returning from surgery to repair a fractured hamate bone.
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Mets' Francisco Alvarez: Resting Thursday
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Alvarez is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Diamondbacks.
Luis Torrens will get a turn behind the dish while Alvarez rests for the day game after playing all nine innings at catcher in Wednesday night's 4-3 loss. Since returning from the injured list last Friday, Alvarez has gone 4-for-21 with a home run, a double, two walks and three RBI in his first five games of the season.
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Mets' Francisco Alvarez: Activated ahead of season debut
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The Mets activated Alvarez (hand) from the 10-day injured list Friday.
Alvarez is starting at catcher and batting seventh Friday versus the Nationals in what will be his season debut after he missed the first four weeks of the season following surgery on a fractured hamate bone in his left hand. The catcher went 7-for-39 with one home run across 10 rehab contests.
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Mets' Francisco Alvarez: Will be fine after HBP scare
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Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said Wednesday that Alvarez is "fine" after having to exit Tuesday's rehab game with Double-A Binghamton following a hit-by-pitch on his surgically repaired left hand, SNY.tv reports.
Alvarez initially stayed in the game after being plunked but was eventually removed. However, he has evidently checked out fine and the incident shouldn't alter when he will be activated for his season debut, which will be soon. Alvarez had surgery back in early March on a fractured hamate bone in his left hand.
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Mets' Francisco Alvarez: Ready for rehab assignment
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Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said that Alvarez (hand) will begin a rehab assignment Wednesday at Single-A St. Lucie, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.
The 23-year-old took live batting practice Tuesday, and that was apparently the final hurdle before being cleared for game action. Alvarez has been sidelined for the past month due to a hamate fracture in his left hand for which he underwent surgery, and he'll likely need at least a handful of games in the minors to get up to speed before making his 2025 debut for the Mets.
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Mets' Francisco Alvarez: Taking BP on the field Tuesday
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Alvarez (hand) took live batting practice on the field Tuesday, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.
Alvarez had been hitting in the cage, but Tuesday marked the first time that he took batting practice on the field since he underwent surgery on a fractured hamate bone in his left hand back on March 10. While the Mets haven't revealed a specific timetable for their starting catcher's return, Alvarez's recovery has come along nicely, and he could make it back before the end of April if all goes well.
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Mets' Francisco Alvarez: Hitting in cage Friday
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Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said that Alvarez (hand) will catch a bullpen session and hit in the batting cage Friday, SNY.tv reports.
Alvarez is ramping up baseball activities as he works his way back from surgery on a fractured hamate bone in his left hand. There is no firm timeline yet for Alvarez's return, but he could still rejoin the Mets before the end of April.
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Mets' Francisco Alvarez: Out with hand fracture
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Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said that Alvarez has been diagnosed with a fractured hamate bone in his left hand and will be sidelined 6-to-8 weeks after he undergoes surgery Monday, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.
Alvarez last saw Grapefruit League action Friday against the Nationals, but it's unclear exactly how he suffered the injury. The 23-year-old missed over seven weeks in 2024 due to a torn UCL in his left thumb, and he struggled to find much consistency when healthy with 11 home runs and a .237/.307/.403 slash line over 100 regular-season games. Making his 2025 debut in late April is likely the best-case scenario while coming back from a fracture in his glove hand, but there's a real chance Alvarez doesn't return from the injured list until May. Luis Torrens is poised to take over as the No. 1 catcher in the interim, though the Mets could look outside the organization to bolster their depth behind the plate.
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Mets' Francisco Alvarez: Breather in second game
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Alvarez is out of the lineup for the second game of Monday's doubleheader in Atlanta, Tim Britton of The Athletic reports.
Perhaps Alvarez would have gotten the start had the Mets failed to capture the first game, but since they did win that contest it makes it an easy decision to rest him for this one. Luis Torrens will catch and bat eighth.
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Mets' Francisco Alvarez: Back in lineup
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Alvarez (back) is starting at catcher and batting eighth for Sunday's game against the Brewers, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.
Alvarez left Friday's game against Milwaukee due to back spasms. That kept him out of Saturday's lineup, though he did manage to pinch hit for Luis Torrens in the top of the eighth inning. Since Sept. 1, Alvarez has slashed .231/.355/.538 with five home runs and 14 RBI over 62 plate appearances.
