Francisco Alvarez is out of the Mets’ starting lineup for Saturday night’s crucial middle game with the Milwaukee Brewers, but Carlos Mendoza says the young backstop will be available off the bench.
Alvarez needed assistance from trainers leaving the field in the top of seventh inning during Friday night’s game as he went down in serious pain after sliding into third base.
He told reporters postgame that he was already feeling better, but the team was going to wait and see how things were doing pregame before deciding if he’d be in the lineup.
Catching prospect Hayden Senger did join the team in Milwaukee as an emergency catcher, but after going through his workout, the team has deemed Alvarez ready to roll.
“It was pretty scary yesterday,” the skipper said. “I was in the clubhouse when he came in and that didn’t look too good, but by the time we got out of the ballpark he was in a much better spot.
“When we came in today it was the same thing. He’s going through his whole pregame activities taking batting practice, he’s already swung in the cages, so I think I’ll have a player here.”
