Hours before Tuesday’s matchup against the Miami Marlins, the New York Mets activated catcher Francisco Alvarez from the 10-day injured list. In a corresponding move, New York designated veteran backstop Tomás Nido for assignment.
Alvy's back.
⏰: 7:10 p.m.
📺: SNY
📱: The SNY App presented by @FanaticsBook pic.twitter.com/UW0bZC3Vao— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) June 11, 2024
Alvarez will hit eighth and start behind the dish as the Mets begin a crucial stretch of the season. The next couple weeks will surely determine the team’s fate at July’s trade deadline. New York’s pitching, defense, and offense have all struggled at various points this year and have put them eight games under .500 entering Tuesday.
However, the team is just 3 1/2 games out of a Wild Card spot in a weak National League. Though he won’t have the heavy workload he’s accustomed to, Mets Players Returning From IL And Their Potential Impact the game calling and pitch framing while bringing much needed energy and power to the lineup.
Francisco Alvarez Returns, Designate Tomás Nido For Assignment
The Mets have not received much offensively or defensively from the catching spot for most of the season. The struggles at the position heightened after Alvarez tore a thumb ligament on April 19 and underwent surgery a few days later.
Alvarez returns exactly seven weeks post-surgery and right in the middle of the initial six to eight weeks recovery timeline. He didn’t take the full two months to recover, but Alvarez told reporters in late May that he would not return until he felt “100 percent”.
That said, it’s fair to be cautious about what to expect from the 22-year-old. Alvarez struggled offensively in a short six-game rehab assignment split between Double-A Binghamton and High-A Brooklyn.
Plus, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza told reporters recently that Alvarez will wear a thumb splint likely through the regular season. It remains to be seen just how healed his thumb is and how the splint will impact both his offense and defense.
Tomás Nido
The Mets activating Alvarez will likely end Nido’s 12-year tenure in the organization. New York drafted Nido in the 8th round of the 2012 draft and he impressed many in his rise through the system. He earned a reputation as a solid defender with some offensive potential, evident by a 2016 Low-A batting title.
While he showed some flashes of offense in the majors, the 30-year-old could never permanently claim a spot in the lineup. New York will now have a week to either trade him or pass him though waivers. However, Nido recently accumulated five years of service time and will have the option of declining a minor league assignment while keeping his $2.1 million salary.
Tomás Nido bids farewell to the Mets pic.twitter.com/uVQdR4NRfa
— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) June 11, 2024
Many expect Nido to exercise his right to decline the assignment and enter free agency. In fact, he more or less confirmed that fate with a farewell post on X shortly after the news broke. With Nido gone, the backup role will go to veteran Luis Torrens, who has made a serious impact just two weeks after joining the team.
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