Francisco Alvarez’s bat is cooking, and the Mets are noticing.
The catcher had six homers in his previous 4 video games for Triple-A Syracuse coming into Saturday night time and continues to indicate enchancment behind the plate, in keeping with supervisor Carlos Mendoza, in what has been an open-ended minor league task.
Not like when the Mets optioned Luisangel Acuña to Syracuse final month figuring out he would return after receiving 40-50 at-bats, Mendoza stated there isn’t a such construction in place for Alvarez (who was optioned June 22).
“[Alvarez] must go down there and play, after which we’ll decide when we’ve to,” Mendoza stated earlier than the Mets misplaced 5-2 to the Reds at Citi Subject.
Alvarez’s surge at Syracuse has occurred because the Mets are receiving little offensively from Luis Torrens, who has assumed the on a regular basis catching duties.
Torrens started the day with a .593 OPS, earlier than going 2-for-3 with a stroll.
However the Mets wish to make sure the 23-year-old Alvarez is prepared earlier than recalling him.
“We’ve been seeing the ability, clearly, the way in which he’s driving the baseball to all fields,” Mendoza stated. “However the protection, the experiences we’re persevering with to get are fairly spectacular. The receiving, the blocking, every little thing we’re asking him to do he continues to make enchancment on.”
Brooks Raley pitched a scoreless seventh with two strikeouts in his season debut.
The left-hander missed the earlier 14 months after rehabbing from Tommy John surgical procedure.
“Your typical Brooks Raley outing,” Mendoza stated. “The sweeper was good, with quite a lot of motion, obtained the lefties and the righties, so it was good to see him again on the market.”
Mendoza opened his pregame session with reporters by acknowledging David Wright, whose No. 5 was retired by the group.
“A particular profession, clearly, however what a particular human,” stated Mendoza, who has gotten to know the previous third baseman throughout spring coaching the previous two seasons. “One of many highlights for me was assembly David final 12 months in spring coaching and simply the common-or-garden, the standard of the individual, it was fairly unbelievable.”
