Mets Notes: Francisco Alvarez takes first step in recovery, six-man rotation looking likely
Here are some notes from Mets manager Carlos Mendoza as he spoke prior to Monday's series opener against the Cardinals...
Alvarez takes first step
Francisco Alvarez still has a ways to go in his recovery from a torn ligament in his left thumb, but the young backstop has finally taken a positive first step.
Alvarez has been participating in one-handed hitting drills with coaches, and on Monday, he started playing catch after having the stitches removed from his surgically repaired thumb.
“It’s a good step,” the skipper said. “For now it’s just continuing to have him involved in our pregame meetings and our pre-series meetings and things like that with pitchers and catchers.”
Alvarez has missed just about two weeks now after injuring his thumb attempting to hold himself up while falling down running the bases during a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The initial six-to-eight-week timeline lines up for an early-to-mid June return date.
Six-man rotation “most likely scenario”
Kodai Senga has missed the beginning of this season after suffering a shoulder injury late in spring training, but the ace is already well on the road to recovery.
The other day, Senga felt good after throwing another successful bullpen session, and the team will be deciding what his next move will be over the next few days.
The right-hander certainly still has a couple of steps before being fully cleared for a return, but when he does eventually get back, Mendoza expects that the team will turn to a six-man rotation.
“That’s the most likely scenario,” he said. “It depends on where you add off days in the schedule and what you have bullpen-wise and things like that, but as of right now that’s probably fair to say that we’ll be using a six-man.”
Senga pitched on an extra day of rest for the majority of his stellar first season at the big-league level, in which he finished second in National League Rookie of the Year voting.
Keeping him on that schedule would not only benefit him, but also the rest of the Mets' starting rotation.
Alonso's off day
In the midst of one of the worse slumps of his career, the Mets decided to give Pete Alonso his first off day of the season for Monday's series opener.
The slugger, who is 2-for-36 with 11 strikeouts over his last 10 games, is expected to be available off the bench but the Mets are hoping the reset could get him going.
"I talked to him after the game yesterday and it was obviously not an easy conversation because he wants to be out there everyday and you appreciate that, that says a lot about who he is" Mendoza said.
"Where he's at in this tough stretch and you factor in some of the numbers against Kyle Gibson in his career, I think it's more just big picture of what he's going through right now. He's just got to continue to work and continue to grind and he'll get through it."
With Alonso sidelined at least to begin the game, DJ Stewart will receive his first career start at first base.
The left-handed hitting slugger has been working with Mets first base coach Mike Sarbaugh at the position since the early days of spring training, which is why Mendoza feels comfortable throwing him into the fire.
