Francisco Alvarez caught seven innings at Double-A Binghamton on Saturday, raising the possibility he could return to the Mets’ lineup by the middle of the month.
Carlos Mendoza said Thursday’s first rehab game went well for the 22-year-old before Saturday’s 10-5 loss to the Diamondbacks at Citi Field.
“We’ll see,” the manager said when asked if Alvarez could be back in time for the Mets’ two-game series against the Phillies in London next weekend.
Alvarez has been sidelined since undergoing surgery in April to repair a torn ligament in his thumb, but has recovered quickly so far.
He hit a home run the other way in his second at-bat on Thursday but was hitless in three at-bats Saturday, striking out twice.
Mendoza added that Alvarez still has a lot of work to do before he can return.
He will start as catcher again Sunday at Binghamton, rest Monday and play in a rehab game on Tuesday.
“He’s making good progress and moving in the right direction,” Mendoza said. “His catching, his swinging of the bat and [more] Gradually accelerate from 7th to 8th to 9th [defensively]He needs to get back to the physical condition he needs to be as a baseball player.”
The Mets are sorely missing right-handed hitter Alvarez, who was in slumping form, going just five for 36 when he was injured on April 19.
The Mets are backed by the Omar Narvaez-Tomas Nido duo, and as of Saturday their catcher WAR was 0.1, good for just 25th in the major leagues, according to Fangraphs.
The Mets didn’t wait for Alvarez’s return to revamp their catching staff, instead designating Narvaez for assignment on Friday and replacing him with Luis Torrens, whom they acquired from the Yankees in a cash trade.
Alvarez continues to play with a splint on his left hand and intends to keep it that way until he is 100 percent recovered.
Mark Vientos followed up his three hits on Friday with two on Saturday, including a 440-foot solo home run in the fifth inning.
The performance came after Vientos was given the third base position following the optioning of Brett Batty to Triple-A Syracuse on Friday.
“I feel much more comfortable now. [than last year]” Vientos said.
“He’s a special player,” Mendoza said. “He’s got power. That ball went a long way. He’s just generally played well at the plate.”
Vientos also showed defensive instability in the sixth inning, throwing Eugenio Suarez’s grounder to first base, only for Pete Alonso to pick it up.
The Mets bullpen will have another pitcher back on the team either Sunday or Monday as Drew Smith is expected to return from the 15-day disabled list after recovering from a sore right shoulder.
Smith’s return will be especially welcome as the Mets will be without Edwin Diaz (right shoulder impingement) and Brooks Raley is out for the year after undergoing elbow surgery.
Smith was pitching relatively well before the injury, allowing just one earned run in nine innings.
But he has struggled with control issues, issuing seven walks in nine innings.
Mendoza said right-hander Kodai Senga was on the field working on throwing balls before Saturday’s game, but there was nothing new about his return from a shoulder injury.
When asked if there were plans for Senga to pitch, the manager replied, “Not at the moment.”
Francisco Lindor extended his hitting streak to 11 games on Saturday. He entered the game with 17 hits in 44 at-bats over his previous 10 games, including seven extra-base hits and a 1.062 OPS.
Thanks to his hot spell, Lindor improved his season OPS from .616 to .699. The scores were so one-sided that he was replaced in the seventh inning and replaced by Jose Iglesias.
