QUEENS — Perhaps Mets general manager Billy Eppler’s firm line in the sand from spring training that will withhold top prospect Francisco Alvarez from getting at-bats as the designated hitter is a bit softer than initially believed.
“I’d be more inclined than you think I would,” manager Buck Showalter said on Tuesday when asked about the possibility of DH work for the 21-year-old catcher. “I don’t want him to get too far away from catching… I want him to get out there as much as we can.”
Such a sentiment hinges on whether or not Major League Baseball’s No. 1 ranked prospect can “show he’s an offensive force,” but the Mets’ skipper did not immediately shoot such a notion down.
Alvarez was called up ahead of the Mets’ home opener on Friday after veteran backstop Omar Narvaez went down with a calf strain that is expected to keep him out for eight-to-nine weeks. He started Sunday’s series finale against the Miami Marlins, going 1-for-4 with an RBI, and got the nod to start behind the plate for Tuesday night’s meeting with the San Diego Padres at Citi Field.
It’s a prime opportunity for the Venezuela native to show the Mets that he’s capable of staying up in the big leagues for the long haul sooner rather than later, though his defense is seen as the one asset of his game that is ultimately holding him back. Hence why the organization wants to keep his appearances — whether in the majors or Triple-A — mainly as a catcher rather than a DH.
But the Mets are once again dealing with subpar production from that spot in the lineup. Designated hitters were batting .229 with just one home run and three RBI through their first 11 games of the season and Alvarez obviously provides a tantalizing option for a potential surge to lengthen the lineup.
Showalter simply won’t throw Alvarez into such a situation. He painstakingly goes through the pitching matchups to ensure the best possible opportunity for the young slugger to establish some confidence in the big leagues having started just 3-for-16 with a home run and two RBI.
“I’m not as cautious about it as you might think,” Showalter continued. “If it’s the right matchup, I’ll go with it and you might be surprised about how early I’ll do it.”
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