QUEENS, NY — Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez will begin a rehab assignment on Wednesday with Triple-A Syracuse as he remains ahead of schedule in his return from a sprained UCL in his right thumb.
The 23-year-old added that he does not have “any pain” near the injured area, as he is wearing a splint both while at the plate and working behind it.
“If I end up coming back and it’s uncomfortable, maybe my confidence will dip a little bit, but at the moment, my confidence is fine because I feel like I’m ready,” Alvarez said on Tuesday ahead of the Mets’ middle game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citi Field. “I don’t feel any pain.”
This development has provided a pleasant surprise for Alvarez and the Mets. He was placed on the 10-day injured list last Tuesday, and by Sunday, he was gripping a bat and swinging it comfortably during batting practice.
He has been throwing for just as long, though he admitted that he has had to put more pressure on his index and middle fingers when delivering the ball rather than stressing the thumb.
“It’s surprising. I thought initially when I got injured that there would be more pain, or there would be a level of discomfort,” Alvarez, who expected this to be a serious issue, said. “But up until this point, there’s been none of that.”
Manager Carlos Mendoza was just as flabbergasted, saying on Monday that he “couldn’t believe it” when he saw a video of his catcher swinging a bat so soon.
The Mets will hope that Alvarez’s production will not dip upon his return — a timetable remains uncertain, per Mendoza. He had begun to find his groove offensively following a month-long demotion stint in Triple-A. Since July 21 (21 games), he has been batting .323 with a 1.054 OPS, four home runs, and 13 RBI.
