The New York Mets injury news has taken a positive turn as Francisco Álvarez and Jeff McNeil are close to returning. Both players took batting practice on the field Tuesday for the first time since suffering their respective injuries. According to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza confirmed that Álvarez and McNeil are both set for rehab assignments, marking an important step toward their return to the active roster.
Further update on Jeff McNeil (oblique) and Francisco Alvarez (hamate): They’re both taking batting practice on the field this afternoon for the first time since their respective injuries. Previously, they’d been limited to indoor work.
— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) April 8, 2025
Mets Injury News Update: Álvarez and McNeil Near Return
Álvarez will begin his rehab assignment Wednesday with A-ball St. Lucie, marking a key step in his recovery. McNeil, meanwhile, is set to get live at-bats in Florida before starting his rehab assignment this weekend.
Álvarez, who’s working his way back from surgery on a broken hamate bone in his left hand, resumed baseball activities well before Tuesday. He’s been receiving throws with his catching (left) hand and appears to be on track to meet his six-week recovery goal. McNeil, recovering from a low-grade oblique injury, has been working out on the field regularly in recent days. After hitting Tuesday, McNeil took grounders at second base, signaling his readiness to return. He hopes to return before May and will reclaim the primary second base job.
McNeil’s return is significant given the struggles at second base, where Mets second basemen are hitting .094/.147/.156 in a small sample size of 34 plate appearances this season. His bat is sorely missed, especially as Brett Baty and Luisangel Acuña haven’t been able to provide consistent production at the position. Their combined .303 OPS ranks last amongst all second-base tandems in MLB.
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