Francisco Alvarez wasn’t in the Mets starting lineup a day after being hit with a pitch near his right hand, but manager Buck Showalter reiterated Monday that the injury doesn’t appear serious.
The rookie catcher exited during the fifth inning of Sunday’s road win against the Twins after being struck between his hand and wrist by a Pablo Lopez fastball.
He underwent X-rays, which came back negative, but Showalter listed Omar Narvaez as his starting catcher and No. 9 hitter for Monday’s series opener against the Diamondbacks in Flushing.
“The question we were talking about last night was [if] something happened to Omar tonight in the first inning, would [Alvarez] be able to catch eight innings?” Showalter said Monday. “That’s the question we had to answer, and we did. We think we’re OK. Will he pinch-hit tonight? Would he catch tomorrow? We’ll see how it manages. Sore, but he can play.”
Alvarez didn’t undergo further imaging Monday, according to the manager.
Asked Sunday after the injury, Alvarez said he would “go to the training room to try to get that inflammation down.”
The 21-year-old entered Monday hitting .215 with 22 home runs and 51 RBI in 108 games.
The Mets have approached the catcher’s rookie campaign with caution. Last month, Showalter said the team would manage his playing time at a demanding position.
“We talk to our guys a lot and understanding [Alvarez’s] output on everything and knowing where a good spot for a catcher is, especially at their age,” Showalter said at the time.
“He’s in a good place right now and we’re just trying to keep him [there].”
Narvaez, who was an NL All-Star with the Brewers in 2021, is in his first season with the Mets. The 31-year-old entered Monday with a .192 batting average, one home run and six RBI in 39 games.
PROSPECT PROMOTED
Prized prospect Jett Williams made the jump Monday from High-A Brooklyn to Double-A Binghamton, the Mets announced.
The Mets drafted Williams, 19, in the first round of the 2022 MLB Draft. The shortstop/center fielder hit .299 with seven home runs in 36 games at High-A.
MLB Pipeline lists Williams as the Mets’ No. 3 prospect, behind only Luisangel Acuna and Drew Gilbert, both of whom the team acquired before last month’s trade deadline.
QUINTANA’S IMPACT
Ahead of Jose Quintana’s 10th start with the Mets, Showalter took a moment to consider what could’ve been had the left-hander stayed healthy all year.
Quintana, 34, signed a two-year, $26 million contract with the Mets in the offseason. The team announced in spring training that he had a rib stress fracture, and he missed nearly four months before debuting in July.
Quintana, a 2016 AL All-Star with the White Sox, pitched to a 3.00 ERA over his first nine starts, and Showalter said he’s been a mentor to younger players such as Alvarez and Tylor Megill as well.
“He doesn’t have to show you how smart he is. … He just has an air about him that he’s there if you need him,” Showalter said Monday. “He’s got a pure heart about things. I really like the kid.”
