Mets' Francisco Alvarez goes hitless in second rehab game with Triple-A Syracuse
Article excerpt
Francisco Alvarez, the Mets' catcher working his way back from a torn meniscus in his right knee, went hitless in his second rehab game with Triple-A Syracuse on Thursday, striking out three times in four at-bats. The 23-year-old prospect remains a key piece of New York's rebuild, but his struggles at the plate during this injury recovery underscore the uncertainty surrounding his timeline to rejoin the major league roster.
Two nights removed from an excellent performance in his first game at Triple-A Syracuse, Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez had a night to forget as he works back from torn meniscus surgery in his right knee.
Alvarez was 0-for-4 tonight with three strikeouts, caught looking on one of them. His only other at-bat ended in a groundout to short.
Since Alvarez went under the knife on May 14, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza has made it clear that his everyday catcher has to prove he's able to play back-to-back games in the minors before he is reactivated from the IL.
In Alvarez's absence, fellow Venezuelan Luis Torrens has been thrust into the starting role behind the plate. He was signed to a two-year, $11.5 million contract extension less than two weeks before Alvarez sustained his injury.
While Torrens has been struggling mightily at the plate, slashing .220/.287/.578, he is an excellent defensive catcher, ranking in the 94th percentile of all qualified MLB catchers for fielding run value (per Baseball Savant).
Meanwhile, DH Jorge Polanco, still yet to return to the Mets lineup as he recovers from Achilles bursitis and a wrist issue, was left out of the Syracuse lineup tonight.
Outfielder Nick Morabito was also on the bench for tonight's game. Ryan Clifford served as the team's DH and went hitless.
In the end, the Syracuse Mets walked it off to take the win against the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, 3-2 the final.
For the RailRiders, top Yankees prospect George Lombard Jr. batted leadoff and went 2-for-4, while Spencer Jones was 1-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout.
Don't run on Alvy!
Francisco Alvarez nabs Duke Ellis for his second straight rehab game catching a runner stealing! pic.twitter.com/radGUULHXt
, SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) June 4, 2026