Mets' Francisco Alvarez: Cleared for rehab assignment
Rotowire
Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said Tuesday that Alvarez (thumb) will begin a rehab assignment with Double-A Binghamton on Thursday, Jorge Castillo of ESPN.com reports.
Mendoza offered that Alvarez will catch 5-to-7 innings in his first game with Binghamton and build up from there. Alvarez is five weeks removed from undergoing surgery to repair a torn UCL in his left thumb. He was given an eight-week timetable to return following the operation, but the young catcher would appear to have a good shot to beat that timeline.
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Mets' Francisco Alvarez: Looking good in batting practice
Rotowire
Alvarez (thumb) was reaching exit velocities over 100 miles per hour during batting practice over the weekend, Will Sammon of The Athletic reports.
The 22-year-old catcher is still wearing a splint on his surgically repaired thumb, however, and the Mets aren't going to rush him back from the 10-day injured list. The team may also use his recovery period to have him work on his positioning behind the plate, as Alvarez has a tendency to be overeager reaching for pitches and is susceptible to getting his glove hand smacked by a swing. Alvarez was batting .236 (13-for-55) with one home run and eight RBI through 16 games when he was injured in mid-April.
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Mets' Francisco Alvarez: Set for batting practice Saturday
Rotowire
Alvarez (thumb) is set to participate in batting practice Saturday, Abbey Mastracco of the New York Daily News reports.
Alvarez landed on the 10-day IL after tearing the UCL in his left thumb April 19, and the 22-year-old catcher is on track for a return by late June. Alvarez was slashing .236/.288/.364 with one home run and eight RBI over 59 plate appearances prior to his injury.
The Mets are aiming for Alvarez (thumb) to begin taking batting practice during their upcoming homestand, which begins Friday and runs through June 2, Mike Puma of the New York Post reports.
It's been a month since Alvarez had surgery to address a torn UCL in his left thumb, and he's almost ready to pick up a bat as he advances his rehab. The catcher remains on track to return from the 10-day injured list in mid-to-late June.
Alvarez had the stitches removed Monday from his surgically repaired left thumb, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.
Alvarez underwent surgery April 23 to address a torn UCL in the thumb on his glove hand. At the time his surgery was performed, the Mets estimated that Alvarez would need eight weeks to make a full recovery, so he appears unlikely to return from the injured list until around late June. A more precise target date for his return should come into focus once he resumes taking batting practice and performing defensive drills.
