Francisco Alvarez Fantasy Stats

New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez is unlikely to appear in the first week of the Grapefruit League as the team looks to slow-play him, according to Will Sammon and Tim Britton of The Athletic. Alvarez is expected to be ready to go for Opening Day in late March, but the Mets are going to be cautious with the 24-year-old backstop after he had thumb surgery at the end of last season. In addition to a torn UCL in his right thumb last August, Alvarez also got a late start in 2025 due to a left-hand fracture. The injuries limited the Venezuelan catcher to 76 games in his fourth year in the majors. In 277 plate appearances for the Mets, Alvarez hit .256/.339/.447 with a career-high .787 OPS, 11 home runs, 32 RBI, and 32 runs scored. Alvarez's injury history is concerning, but he'll be the team's primary catcher, and he's pretty intriguing for his power upside at the cost of a backup fantasy catcher.

New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez said that he lost around eight or 10 pounds in the offseason by focusing on his nutrition, according to Laura Albanese of Newsday. Alvarez also worked with director of hitting Jeff Albert and will be keeping the batting stance he re-adopted after returning from his demotion to Triple-A Syracuse in 2025. The 24-year-old Venezuelan backstop was sent to the minors to work on his swing last year, and after he returned, he hit .276/.360/.561 with eight home runs in his final 40 games. The Mets are hoping that he can pick up where he left off this year. Alvarez finished 2025 with a .256/.339/.447 slash line, .787 OPS, 11 home runs, 32 RBI, and 32 runs scored in 76 games with the Mets. He suffered a torn UCL in his right thumb in August and also missed the first few weeks with a left-hand fracture. Durability concerns are obvious, but he's a starting catcher with plenty of pop in a strong Mets' lineup. Alvarez will be a low-cost No. 2 fantasy catcher with plenty of bounce-back appeal.

As expected, New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez (thumb) will have surgery in the coming days to fix the sprained UCL in his right thumb, according to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. Alvarez played through the injury in September as the Mets tried to push for the final wild-card spot in the National League. They ultimately came up short, and now Alvarez will have offseason surgery. Since he's having the surgery right away, Alvarez should be healed up and ready to go for the start of spring training in mid-February and for Opening Day in 2026. The 23-year-old backstop suffered the injury in late August. It was a trying season for the Venezuelan catcher, and he was demoted to the minors before his injury to work on some things as a hitter. Upon his return, he hit .230 (14-for-61) with four homers and eight RBI in September while playing hurt. Alvarez still has above-average pop for a catcher, but he's been injury-prone in his time with the Mets.

New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez (cramps) is out of the starting lineup ahead of Thursday's game against the Chicago Cubs. Alvarez reportedly felt cramping in his lower half during Wednesday's game. As a result, Alvarez will take a seat on Thursday, but will hopefully only miss one game. Mets' manager Carlos Mendoza mentioned that Alvarez is available off the bench. That being said, Alvarez is likely dealing with a minor issue and should be considered day-to-day. Luis Torrens will draw the start behind the plate and bat sixth on Thursday.

New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez (triceps) is doing the catching for left-hander David Peterson and will hit eighth on Wednesday against the visiting San Diego Padres and right-hander Nick Pivetta. Alvarez was hit on the triceps by a pitch in Monday's win over the Padres and was quickly replaced by a pinch-runner, but he avoided a serious injury and is back in there the very next day. The 23-year-old backstop has been a magnet at the plate and is also playing through a broken pinkie finger on his left hand and a torn UCL in his right thumb, so he's nowhere near 100 percent as the Mets try to hang onto the final wild-card spot in the National League over the final week and a half of the 2025 season. The Venezuelan catcher has hit just .194 (6-for-31) with a homer and an RBI in 11 games in September and can't be counted on for much power while playing through his injuries.

New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez is out of the starting lineup ahead of Thursday's game against the Philadelphia Phillies. This appears to be a routine rest day for Alvarez who has struggled at the plate lately. Since returning from injury, Alvarez is 2-for-18 with nine strikeouts. Hayden Senger will do the catching and bat ninth against left-hander Jesus Luzardo. Alvarez has good power upside, but isn't doing enough with the bat right now to warrant rostering in most fantasy formats.

New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez (thumb, pinkie) will come off the 10-day injured list on Friday, Mike Puma of the New York Post reports. Alvarez will return after missing a little over two weeks with multiple injuries. He went on the IL on Aug. 18 with a sprained UCL in his right thumb before suffering a fractured left pinkie in his first Triple-A rehab game on Aug. 29. If Alvarez is healthy and able to swing the bat without issues, he could give the Mets a sizable upgrade at catcher over Luis Torrens and Hayden Senger as the team charges toward the playoffs. The 23-year-old has slashed .265/.349/.438 with seven homers, 24 RBI, and 24 runs scored in 209 plate appearances this season.

New York Mets catcher Francico Alvarez (thumb, pinkie) could be back in the big leagues soon, according to Tim Britton of The Athletic. During his minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A Syracuse due to a torn ligament in his right thumb, Alvarez suffered a broken pinkie finger on his left hand last Tuesday. However, he was back on the field by Saturday and caught nine innings for Syracuse on Sunday. Alvarez must show that he can tolerate the pain in each hand now, but as long as he doesn't have any setbacks, the Mets could activate him from the injured list sooner than later. The Mets have been aggressive with his rehab to this point. Luis Torrens and Hayden Senger are holding down the fort for now, but Alvarez should be the team's primary backstop when he's ready. The Venezuelan backstop hit 25 homers in 2023 but has been held back by injuries in two years since then.

New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez (finger, thumb) is back in the lineup for Triple-A Syracuse on Saturday, according to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. Alvarez suffered a sprained UCL in his right thumb on Aug. 17 and began a rehab assignment on Wednesday, but he exited his first game early after fracturing his left pinkie on a hit by pitch. Fortunately for Alvarez and the Mets, it wasn't a serious enough injury to shelve him for more than a couple of days. The 23-year-old remains on track to return sometime in September, and he'll reclaim his spot as the Mets' starting catcher when he comes back. Alvarez, a much better hitter than backup Luis Torrens, has slashed .265/.349/.438 with seven homers, 24 RBI, and 24 runs scored in 209 plate appearances this season.

New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez (finger, thumb) said that he broke his pinkie finger on Wednesday night during a minor-league rehab game at Triple-A Syracuse when he was hit by a pitch. However, Alvarez remains hopeful that he can play again this year. MLB.com's Anthony DiComo writes that the hope is that Alvarez can return to play in two to three days since it's only a small fracture to his pinkie. He was out playing catch on Thursday but had a trainer catching the ball for him. The 23-year-old backstop was already rehabbing a right-thumb injury that will eventually require surgery. Alvarez could rejoin the Mets in September, but fantasy managers aren't holding their breathe for a catcher that can't seem to stay healthy. The Venezuelan has played in only 56 games for the Mets this year and has hit .265 (49-for-185) with seven home runs and 24 RBI.