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The New York Mets had a scary situation at the end of their subway series victory against the New York Yankees, when star catcher Francisco Alvarez went down in pain after being hit by a pitch in the hand.
Manager Buck Showalter was concerned and came running out of the dugout to check on his young slugger. “You know players and their body language,” Showalter said of Alvarez's reaction, per Anthony DiComo of MLB.com
Francisco Alvarez appeared to be in significant pain after an Albert Abreu pitch struck him on the right hand — and struck him out — in the eighth inning tonight. He left the field immediately and is out of the game for the ninth.
Abreu also hit Mark Vientos, who stayed in. pic.twitter.com/vm0FApVDOa
— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) July 26, 2023
Alvarez was interviewed in the clubhouse after the game, and noted that there was no significant concern to his hand. The X-rays were negative, he said through a translator per SNY.
Alvarez leads all catchers in the league with 19 home runs, despite only playing in 75 of a possible 100 games after he was called up mid-season. He has been a bright spot in a disappointing season, where the Mets massive payroll has largely underperformed.
The Mets cannot afford to lose a red hot talent like Alvarez, as they are on the cusp of making their final comeback to get back in the playoff race. After tonight's win over the Yankees, they have one more game in the Bronx followed by four critical matchups against the lowly Nationals before next Tuesday's trade deadline. They will need likely need to win at least four of five to dissuade ownership from selling some of their critical assets including Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer
The Mets have +500 odds to earn a wildcard spot on DraftKings Sportsbook, and it would take a serious winning streak to get them in contention. The National League is full of strong teams who have underperformed up to this point, including the San Diego Padres in a similar spot.
New York's division mates in Philadelphia and Miami are both smack in the middle of the race at six games above, and the Mets will have to take them down repeatedly in their remaining matchups if they want to close the gap.
