While the Mets cross the lagoon, Francisco Álvarez will complete his cycle in the organization’s farm system as he gets closer to returning from IT following thumb surgery.
Alvarez will join Triple-A Syracuse for weekend games in St. Paul, coach Carlos Mendoza said Wednesday in Washington. The plan is for Alvarez to catch nine innings on Friday and Saturday before DHing on Sunday afternoon.
The coach had already said that Alvarez could be activated for the Mets’ next home starting Tuesday, June 11th.
Mendoza added that it was “really cool” that Alvarez was behind the plate on Tuesday for the Combined no-hitter thrown by the Cyclones. “I spoke to him last night and he was very excited about it.”
The Mets captain added that he has received some positive reports from Brooklyn coaches about the 22-year-old catcher.
“The first thing they said was, ‘What a special guy,’” Mendoza said. “He invested, talked to the entire pitching staff before and during the game. His energy and obviously the way he called that game.”
Alvarez was the DH for Brooklyn’s game on Wednesday and was hitless in three at-bats with a strikeout and a walk.
Through his first five rehab games that began with Double-A Binghamton, Alvarez has three hits in 14 at-bats, including a three-run home run.
In his first 16 games with the Mets before suffering the injury that required UCL surgery, he slashed .236/.288/.364 for a .652 OPS with four doubles, one home run and eight RBI.
Alvarez began a rehab assignment in Binghamton on May 30, about a week after started taking batting practice and 37 days later undergoing surgery to repair a UCL injury on the left thumb.
