The New York Mets struggled coming into the All-Star break, and now they are trying to build a little bit of momentum coming out of it. They have failed to do that so far, dropping each of their first two games at home against the Cincinnati Reds since returning to action.

Now, the task at hand is avoiding a shocking sweep at home. Unfortunately, for New York, that got a little bit more difficult on Sunday with some unfortunate injury news. Star first baseman Pete Alonso will not be in the starting lineup due to an injury that is being described as a hand contusion, according to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com.

There is some good news for the Mets in all of this. Alonso isn't expected to miss extended time due to the injury and could even appear off the bench on Sunday after his X-rays came back negative.

“Pete Alonso has a ‘right hand contusion' near the base of his thumb, Carlos Mendoza said,” DiComo reported on X, formerly Twitter. “But X-rays were negative, and he could be available off the bench.”

Alonso has a couple of very impressive streaks that he risks losing if he isn't able to take the field on Sunday. The last time he did not appear in a Mets game came on May 30, 2024, and he currently holds the franchise record with an active streak of 353 consecutive games played.

The slugger is coming into the second half of the season with a lot of momentum after hitting a huge three-run home run in the All-Star Game, which the National League eventually won in a tie breaking home-run derby. Alonso was slated to hit in that overtime, but the NL had already clinched the victory before his turn thanks to the heroics of Philadelphia Phillies star Kyle Schwarber.

While manager Carlos Mendoza may be tempted to throw Alonso out there to avoid the sweep if it comes down to that, prioritizing his long-term health should be the first priority for the Mets at this point. New York is still just 1.5 games behind the Phillies at the top of the NL East, so having Alonso at 100% for the rest of the season will be critical for it coming down the stretch.

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