New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez to undergo surgery in massive blow

The New York Mets will be without their No. 1 catcher, Francisco Alvarez, for at least the next 6-8 weeks as the slugger is headed for surgery.

Feb 27, 2025; Port St. Lucie, Florida, USA; New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez (4) runs to first base after hitting a single against the Houston Astros during the first inning at Clover Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The injury bug has certainly not been kind to the New York Mets during spring training and it just came back for another significant bite.

Mets No. 1 catcher Francisco Alvarez will be out for at least the next 6-8 weeks after fracturing the hamate bone on his left hand, which will require surgery, as manager Carlos Mendoza shared with a group of reporters on Sunday morning.

Per Mendoza, Alvarez suffered the fracture on Saturday during live at-bats. He felt something in his hand after his second at-bat and was sent for X-Rays by the Mets team trainer which showed the injury. Alvarez is scheduled to undergo surgery on Monday.

This is a crucial blow for Alvarez, the Mets' lineup and their pitching staff. The third-year catcher has a big power bat, but he also commands a staff well and is a stronger pitch framer.. With Alvarez out, Luis Torrens will likely move up to the starting catcher role. The Mets will need to place another catcher on the 40-man roster to backup Torrens whether that is an internal or external choice.

Mendoza did mention that president of baseball operations David Stearns could be looking for outside help at catcher. Former met James McCann and Yasmani Grandal are two veteran names that make sense. Stearns could explore the trade market for a veteran catcher as well.

Alvarez's injury is even more disheartening for the 23-year-old catcher given he missed around seven weeks last season after tearing the UCL in his thumb, which required surgery. Although Alvarez was able to return in June, he never found his power stroke the rest of the way, and hit only 11 home runs with a .710 OPS in 100 total games.

Alvarez crushed 25 homers and posted a .721 OPS as a 21-year-old rookie in 2023. That said, the young backstop struggled immensely in the second half of his first campaign.

Last year, Alvarez got off to a hot start, but was derailed by the thumb injury. The Mets will be hoping that Alvarez makes a full recovery from his hand surgery and can rejoin the team without missing a beat on offense or behind the plate.

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