The New York Mets are slowly falling behind in the NL East, sitting in second place with a 66-58 record and 5.5 games behind the Philadelphia Phillies going into their Tuesday matchup against the Washington Nationals.
If New York can’t win the division, then making the playoffs would mean securing a wild-card berth. They currently hold the third wild-card spot, but the Cincinnati Reds are only one game behind, putting a lot of pressure on the Mets.
Mets Announce Injury News on Francisco Alvarez
Unfortunately, the Mets took a big hit on Tuesday, announcing catcher Francisco Alvarez has been added to the 10-day injured list (retroactive to Aug. 18) due to a right thumb UCL sprain.
We have made the following roster moves.@clovercommerce | #LGM pic.twitter.com/ZfeLiWBj0r
— New York Mets (@Mets) August 19, 2025
He will be re-evaluated in 10-14 days, but this creates a big hole in New York’s lineup, as Alvarez had been performing well in 2025.
He’s appeared in 56 games so far, accumulating 185 at-bats, 49 hits, 24 runs scored, seven home runs, 24 RBIs and 22 walks. Combining that with a .265/.349/.438 slash line and a .787 OPS, the Mets will struggle to replicate that production.
Mets’ Replacements for Alvarez
In a corresponding move, New York recalled the catcher Hayden Senger from Triple-A Syracuse, making him and Luis Torrens the replacements.
Of the two, Senger’s numbers are considerably worse, appearing in 21 games at the MLB level this season, racking up just 46 at-bats, eight hits, five runs scored, two walks and an abysmal .404 OPS.
However, Torrens hasn’t proved to be amazing either, playing in 76 games, with 206 at-bats, 44 hits, 10 runs scored, 16 RBIs, 18 walks and a .581 OPS.
The Mets’ offense has already had some serious ups and downs over the last 30 days, ranking 13th in runs scored (119), 24th in hits (199), 13th in RBIs (115), 12th in home runs (34) and tied for 16th in walks (81).
Now, New York must chug along without one of their best hitters, while also trying to stay afloat in an extremely competitive playoff race.
