When is Francisco Alvarez Coming Back? Fantasy Baseball Injury Return Update

Francisco Alvarez played 123 games last year and cemented his place as the New York Mets catcher. Although his batting average (.209) was subpar, the 22-year-old catcher hit 25 home runs, and there is a lot of optimism regarding his future around the franchise.

Unfortunately for the Mets, Alvarez recently suffered a thumb injury and will undergo surgery. The catcher's injury is a huge blow for the franchise, which started the season 0-5 but has bounced back well and is now 12-10 on the season.

How serious is Alvarez's injury? Will he play again this season for the Mets? Let's take a look at his latest injury update.

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Francisco Alvarez Injury Update for Fantasy Baseball

Francisco Alvarez hurt his thumb in the 9-4 win against the Los Angeles Dodgers last week. The injury happened after he put his left hand on the ground to brace himself while stumbling around first base after Will Smith threw the ball over Freddie Freeman's head.

As per reports, Alvarez suffered a torn ligament in his thumb and will have surgery. There has been no timeline for his return yet; however, the New York Post's Mike Puma reported that the Mets catcher told his teammates that he would remain sidelined for six to eight weeks.

In Alvarez's absence, Omar Narvaez is the starting catcher for the Mets, and Tomas Nido will be his backup. While there are no high expectations for the Mets this season, the franchise will love to have their catcher back, as he will get more playing time to continue improving his skill set.

Francisco Alvarez goes to the IL pic.twitter.com/ee7TIF4bRU

— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) April 20, 2024

Francisco Alvarez Fantasy Baseball Outlook

Francisco Alvarez started this season well, as before getting hurt, he was batting .236 with 13 hits, one home run, eight RBI, and eight runs in 16 games. The Venezuelan product will likely return in the second half of June, and fantasy managers who have him on their roster can keep him on the injured list.

Last year, Alvarez had a slash line of .209 BA, .284 OBP, and .437 SLG. Upon his return from injury, the former Mets top prospect will hope to improve on these numbers and emerge as a cornerstone player for the team.

The Mets called Alvarez up to the majors in April of last year, and since then, he has become an integral part of their future. His absence will be a cause for concern for the team, but the NL East franchise will be happy that the thumb injury will not keep Alvarez sidelined for a much longer time frame.

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