Mets starting catcher Francisco Alvarez out 6-8 weeks with broken left hand

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A tough injury blow occurred in New York Mets spring training, as starting catcher Francisco Alvarez will not be with the team on Opening Day and then some. 

Manager Carlos Mendoza revealed to reporters on Sunday that the 23-year-old catcher will undergo surgery to repair a broken left hamate bone (hand), which will force him to miss six to eight weeks. 

Alvarez, once the team’s top prospect in the minors, is someone with high expectations heading into the 2025 season, but it isn’t starting the way he and the organization would like. 

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New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez plays catch during a spring training workout at Clover Park. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)

"It’s always tough when one of your guys goes down like that," Mendoza said about Alvarez. "But again, you’ve got to keep going. Nobody’s going to feel sorry for us. Everybody deals with injuries. We’ll get him back."

Mendoza added the surgery, which was required after injuring the hamate bone during live at-bats on Saturday, will occur on Monday.

The hamate bone is an interesting injury for baseball players because it can cause a dip in power at the plate, something that Alvarez is gifted with. The Mets wanted to see more than 11 homers from him in 2024 after mashing 25 in 2023, but he’s proven he can send it a long way when he barrels it up. 

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Whether this injury will diminish that power remains to be seen. 

Alvarez is also a very good defensive catcher, possessing a rocket for an arm and good framing skills. Obviously, the left hand being his