WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. — The Mets faced another setback on Sunday, with catcher Francisco Alvarez sustaining an injury.
During the game, Alvarez hurt his right thumb while sliding headfirst on the very first attempt in the seventh inning of their 7-3 win over Seattle in the Little League Classic.
After being examined by the trainer, he stayed in for a bit but was eventually substituted by Louis Torrens at the start of the eighth inning.
Manager Carlos Mendoza indicated that Alvarez would head back to New York for an MRI on his thumb set for Monday.
Alvarez had been performing well, hitting doubles since his return from Triple-A Syracuse, but this isn’t the first time he’s had hand issues.
Earlier this season, he was sent down to the minors after fracturing his left hamate, which affected his batting as he healed.
Last year, he underwent surgery on his left thumb, too.
Despite these setbacks, Alvarez had shown impressive production and a solid work ethic after being recalled, and his performance had been noticeably better since returning to the majors.
Before the game on Sunday, he had an impressive 16-6 batting average with four extra-base hits, three of which were home runs.
In the game, he doubled in the second inning, singled in the fifth, scored a run, and then doubled again in the seventh.
Nolan McLean had a wild few days, starting at Triple-A Syracuse, making his MLB debut at Citi Field on Saturday, and then playing in the Little League Classic.
“It was such a surreal experience,” McLean remarked before facing the Mariners on Sunday night. “From being in Rochester to being at Citi Field and then Williamsport—it’s still hard to process.”
He made a significant contribution to the struggling Mets’ rotation, delivering a scoreless inning over 5⅓ in the victory on Saturday.
“When the game wrapped up and I got that Gatorade shower, it really caught me off guard,” McLean shared. “The crowd was massive—it was the biggest I’ve ever played in front of.”
The 24-year-old allowed just two hits and four walks, facing the Mariners.
He kicked off the year with Double-A Binghamton, moving up to Syracuse after some strong performances, and was called up after posting a 2.78 ERA in 16 games (13 starts) in Triple-A.
His debut was highly anticipated, especially given the struggles of the rest of the rotation, but McLean, along with Brandon Sprout and Jonah Tong from Triple-A, has been shining in the minors.
Meanwhile, Tylor Megill took a positive step, beginning his rehab at Double-A Binghamton on Sunday as he tries to return to the rotation. He threw 55 pitches while recovering from an elbow strain that had sidelined him since mid-June.
Ryan Helsley, who had struggled in his last few outings, pitched eight scoreless innings. The start of Sunday’s game was temporarily delayed due to rain, and Louisangel Acuña served as the Mets’ 27th man.
