New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez is out of the starting lineup ahead of Thursday's game against the Philadelphia Phillies. This appears to be a routine rest day for Alvarez who has struggled at the plate lately. Since returning from injury, Alvarez is 2-for-18 with nine strikeouts. Hayden Senger will do the catching and bat ninth against left-hander Jesus Luzardo. Alvarez has good power upside, but isn't doing enough with the bat right now to warrant rostering in most fantasy formats.

New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez (thumb, pinkie) will come off the 10-day injured list on Friday, Mike Puma of the New York Post reports. Alvarez will return after missing a little over two weeks with multiple injuries. He went on the IL on Aug. 18 with a sprained UCL in his right thumb before suffering a fractured left pinkie in his first Triple-A rehab game on Aug. 29. If Alvarez is healthy and able to swing the bat without issues, he could give the Mets a sizable upgrade at catcher over Luis Torrens and Hayden Senger as the team charges toward the playoffs. The 23-year-old has slashed .265/.349/.438 with seven homers, 24 RBI, and 24 runs scored in 209 plate appearances this season.

New York Mets catcher Francico Alvarez (thumb, pinkie) could be back in the big leagues soon, according to Tim Britton of The Athletic. During his minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A Syracuse due to a torn ligament in his right thumb, Alvarez suffered a broken pinkie finger on his left hand last Tuesday. However, he was back on the field by Saturday and caught nine innings for Syracuse on Sunday. Alvarez must show that he can tolerate the pain in each hand now, but as long as he doesn't have any setbacks, the Mets could activate him from the injured list sooner than later. The Mets have been aggressive with his rehab to this point. Luis Torrens and Hayden Senger are holding down the fort for now, but Alvarez should be the team's primary backstop when he's ready. The Venezuelan backstop hit 25 homers in 2023 but has been held back by injuries in two years since then.

New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez (finger, thumb) is back in the lineup for Triple-A Syracuse on Saturday, according to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. Alvarez suffered a sprained UCL in his right thumb on Aug. 17 and began a rehab assignment on Wednesday, but he exited his first game early after fracturing his left pinkie on a hit by pitch. Fortunately for Alvarez and the Mets, it wasn't a serious enough injury to shelve him for more than a couple of days. The 23-year-old remains on track to return sometime in September, and he'll reclaim his spot as the Mets' starting catcher when he comes back. Alvarez, a much better hitter than backup Luis Torrens, has slashed .265/.349/.438 with seven homers, 24 RBI, and 24 runs scored in 209 plate appearances this season.

New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez (finger, thumb) said that he broke his pinkie finger on Wednesday night during a minor-league rehab game at Triple-A Syracuse when he was hit by a pitch. However, Alvarez remains hopeful that he can play again this year. MLB.com's Anthony DiComo writes that the hope is that Alvarez can return to play in two to three days since it's only a small fracture to his pinkie. He was out playing catch on Thursday but had a trainer catching the ball for him. The 23-year-old backstop was already rehabbing a right-thumb injury that will eventually require surgery. Alvarez could rejoin the Mets in September, but fantasy managers aren't holding their breathe for a catcher that can't seem to stay healthy. The Venezuelan has played in only 56 games for the Mets this year and has hit .265 (49-for-185) with seven home runs and 24 RBI.

New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez (hand/thumb) exited a rehab game with Triple-A Syracuse on Wednesday after he was hit by a pitch on the left hand, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports. It was the first rehab game for Alvarez, who has been on the 10-day injured list since Aug. 18 with a sprained UCL in his right thumb. Alvarez is expected to come off the IL in early September, but that could change if he did suffer a separate injury on Wednesday. The 23-year-old got off to a poor start this season, which led the Mets to demote him to the minors on June 21, but he slashed a white-hot .323/.406/.645 with four homers, 13 RBI, and 14 runs scored in 20 games between his return on July 21 and his placement on the IL. With Alvarez out, the Mets have been relying on the offensively challenged duo of Luis Torrens and Hayden Senger behind the plate.

New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez (thumb) is scheduled to begin his rehab assignment Wednesday as he works his way back from a thumb ligament sprain. The injury occurred August 17 during the Little League Classic, and he was placed on the injured list the next day. The 23-year-old has been aggressive in his recovery, taking batting practice ahead of schedule and pushing toward a quick return. Before the injury, the fourth-year catcher was slashing .265/.349/.438 with a .787 OPS and seven home runs in 56 games. Alvarez is aiming to rejoin the club by early September.

New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez (thumb) will begin a minor-league rehab assignment either Wednesday or Thursday, per MLB.com's Anthony DiComo. The 23-year-old was placed on the 10-day injured list retroactive to August 18 with a right thumb UCL sprain. He will eventually need surgery, but the team hopes he will be able to play through it for the rest of the season. DiComo noted that Alvarez will return to the Mets in September if he can play through the pain and produce offensively. Alvarez was putting together a decent season before his injury, slashing .265/.349/.438 with seven home runs and 24 RBI in 209 plate appearances. Pain management seems to be a key aspect of his timetable, but he could be a potentially useful fantasy option down the stretch if he can return to form.

New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza announced Tuesday that catcher Francisco Alvarez (thumb) will need surgery on his thumb. Alvarez was placed on the 10-day injured list retroactive to Monday with a right thumb UCL sprain. However, Mendoza said they will see if he can play through it and that they are "hopeful", as Alvarez's season may be done if he receives the surgery. The 23-year-old has put together a decent offensive season when he has been up with the Mets, slashing .265/.349/.438 with seven home runs and 24 RBI in 209 plate appearances. His current injury timing is unfortunate, as he had been hitting well since returning from Triple-A Syracuse at the end of July. Luis Torrens should see increased playing time in Alvarez's absence.

The New York Mets will place catcher Francisco Alvarez (thumb) on the 10-day injured list with an injury to his right thumb, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports. Alvarez hurt his thumb diving into second base on a double in the Mets' 7-3 win over the Seattle Mariners on Sunday and subsequently underwent an MRI. The severity is still unclear, but it'll be enough to knock Alvarez out of commission for at least a week and a half. It's an unwelcome development for New York, which is fighting for a playoff spot, as Alvarez has slashed a sizzling .323/.406/.645 with four homers, 13 RBI, 14 runs scored, and 16:9 K:BB in 20 games since returning from a one-month demotion to Triple-A Syracuse on July 21. With Alvarez down, the Mets will turn to the light-hitting Luis Torrens as their primary backstop. They'll also likely recall catcher Hayden Senger from Syracuse to take Alvarez's roster spot.UPDATE: Alvarez will be re-evaluated in 10 to 14 days.

New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez (thumb) appeared to injure his thumb diving into second base after doubling in the seventh inning of the Little League Classic on Sunday. He will return to New York on the off-day, Monday, to undergo an MRI. Alvarez is considered day-to-day at this time, and fantasy managers will want to wait for the MRI results to decide how to proceed with Alvarez. He's been on fire of late at the plate, slashing .450/.450/1.050 in his last seven games, which have spanned 20 at-bats, during which he's smacked three home runs and accumulated nine RBI, and seven runs scored. On the season, he is producing a .265/.349/.438 slash line and remains a low-end catcher to start in redraft leagues, but that could change if the MRI results come back clean and he continues to stay on fire at the plate.

New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez and outfielder/designated hitter Starling Marte will both get the day off for Thursday's contest against the division-rival Atlanta Braves at Citi Field. Luis Torrens will be behind the plate and hit ninth, while Ronny Mauricio will serve as the DH and bat out of the seven-hole against Braves right-hander Bryce Elder. It's a good day for Alvarez to take off after going 0-for-4 with three strikeouts in another disappointing loss on Wednesday. Marte has been swinging it well of late and is currently riding a modest four-game hitting streak (7-for-17 with two homers). Since returning from a stay in the minors, Alvarez has swung it well, going 14-for-50 (.280) with three home runs, four doubles, a triple and eight RBI in 17 games played since July 21. Neither Torrens nor Mauricio have ever faced Elder in their careers.

MLB.com's Anthony DiComo reports that New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez (head) passed concussion protocols after leaving Wednesday's loss to the San Diego Padres at Petco Park after taking a check-swing foul ball off his catcher's mask in the fifth inning. Alvarez finished the inning but was replaced by Luis Torrens in the sixth inning in the eventual 5-0 loss. DiComo adds that the young backstop will be permitted to fly back to New York with the team, but it remains to be seen if he'll be back in the lineup for Friday's series opener against the San Francisco Giants after a day off on Thursday. The 23-year-old was 0-for-2 with two strikeouts before leaving. Since coming back up from the minor leagues on July 21, Alvarez has swung the bat well, going 6-for-21 with a homer, two RBI and six runs scored. It sounds like Alvarez should be able to avoid going on the seven-day concussion IL.

New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez is expected to be recalled from Triple-A Syracuse on Monday. Alvarez was sent down to the minors in late June after struggling during the first few months of the season. He slashed .236/.319/.333 with three home runs and 11 RBI in 35 games before being demoted. Alvarez has been crushing it in the minors with 11 homers and 25 RBI in 28 games. He has earned himself another chance behind the plate in New York. He figures to split up time behind the plate with Luis Torrens. Fantasy managers should keep an eye on Alvarez in case he carries over his hot bat back into the majors.

New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez came out of the game early on Tuesday at Triple-A Syracuse due to a heat/dizziness issue, according to SNY's Andy Martino. Alvarez went 0-for-1 at the plate before being replaced by Jakson Reetz behind the plate. It's unclear if Alvarez will be feeling good enough to return to the lineup for Syracuse on Wednesday. The Mets optioned the 23-year-old backstop to the minors on Sunday after he slashed .236/.319/.333 with a 27.5 percent strikeout rate in 35 games with the Mets this year. It didn't help his cause that he fractured the hamate bone in his left hand back in spring training, which kept him out for the first month of the regular season. Alvarez will work on his swing mechanics at Syracuse before rejoining the big-league club at some point in the second half. In the meantime, Luis Torrens will be New York's starting catcher.

The New York Mets have optioned catcher Francisco Alvarez to Triple-A Syracuse and recalled fellow backstop Hayden Senger, the team announced. It's a surprising fall from grace for Alvarez, who has been the Mets' primary catcher since 2023. Alvarez swatted 25 home runs and drove in 63 runs that year and continued to produce solid numbers during an injury-shortened 2024. However, this season hasn't gone well for the 23-year-old. It started poorly when he suffered a fractured hamate bone in his hand during spring training. Alvarez didn't debut until April 25 as a result, and he has since batted an underwhelming .236/.319/.333 with three home runs and 11 RBI in 138 plate appearances. While Alvarez did go yard and collect two hits in a win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday, it wasn't enough to save him from a demotion. For now, the Mets will rely on Luis Torrens as their main backstop. Torrens has minimal offensive upside, having hit .232/.309/.344 with one HR and 13 RBI in 139 trips to the plate.

New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez is out of the starting lineup ahead of Wednesday's game against the Atlanta Braves. Alvarez will get a rest day here after starting in each of the last two games. He has struggled at the plate recently, which could be part of the reason he's on the bench again. Alvarez is 1-for-13 over his last four games. In his absence, Luis Torrens will start behind the plate and bat sixth versus left-hander Chris Sale. Fantasy managers should make sure to get Alvarez out of their lineups ahead of first pitch.

New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez is not in Saturday's lineup when they continue a series against the Tampa Bay Rays. The backstop has started in each of the past two games. During this two-game stretch, Alvarez has gone 0-for-6 at the plate with two walks and two strikeouts. This afternoon, the Mets will give Luis Torrens the nod behind the dish. He will bat in the eight hole. Over his previous 17 games, Alvarez has struggled at the plate, posting a modest .207/.303/.293 line with just two doubles and one home run. Fantasy managers should expect Alvarez to return to the starting nine on Sunday. The Mets are best to fade in DFS this afternoon as they will face Tampa Bay right-hander Drew Rasmussen. Rasmussen has been one of the top pitchers in the American League this season, posting a stellar 2.22 ERA.

The New York Mets announced on Tuesday that they placed catcher Francisco Alvarez on the paternity list and recalled catcher Hayden Senger from Triple-A Syracuse in a corresponding move. Alvarez will be away from the team for a few days and probably won't return until sometime this weekend for a series at home against the Tampa Bay Rays. With Alvarez out, veteran Luis Torrens will do the catching and hit sixth on Tuesday against the division-rival Washington Nationals and tough left-hander MacKenzie Gore. Senger will serve as New York's backup for a few days. Alvarez got a late start to the 2025 season due to injury and is currently hitting .255 (26-for-102) but with only two home runs, 10 RBI and six runs scored in 114 trips to the plate. Injuries also slowed him down last year, but the 23-year-old hit 25 homers in his first full MLB season in 2023.

New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez is out of the starting lineup ahead of Saturday's game against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Fantasy managers don't need to panic as this appears to be a routine rest day for Alvarez. This doesn't come as a surprise after Alvarez went 0-for-5 with a walk and two strikeouts in a 13-inning loss on Friday. Luis Torrens will cover behind the plate and bat sixth versus right-hander Tony Gonsolin on Saturday. Fantasy managers should adjust their lineups accordingly and expect Alvarez to be back in the lineup on Sunday.