For the second time in three days, Francisco Alvarez found himself on the bench, but this absence was not due to rest. The young catcher has been grappling with a persistent left shoulder issue that has been troubling him for several days, according to manager Carlos Mendoza.
Though Alvarez was available to play, Mendoza chose to give him the night off as the Mets kicked off their three-game series against the Twins at Citi Field with a dominant 15-2 victory.
Alvarez had experienced discomfort in his shoulder during Sunday’s game when he reached for a pitch from starter David Peterson. Mendoza emphasized the importance of managing Alvarez’s workload carefully. “We want to monitor his activity,” Mendoza said. “If we need him during the game, he’ll be available. However, resting him from swinging the bat or engaging in physical activity could be beneficial.”
Alvarez has had a challenging month offensively, hitting just .212/.278/.333 with a .611 OPS in July. He went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts in Sunday’s loss to the Braves.
In other injury news, right-handed reliever Sean Reid-Foley is scheduled for his second rehab appearance on Wednesday. Mendoza noted uncertainty about whether Reid-Foley will remain with Single-A Brooklyn or potentially move up to Double-A Binghamton. Reid-Foley struggled in his previous outing, allowing two hits and two earned runs in two-thirds of an inning. He has been sidelined since June 19 with a right shoulder impingement.
Right-handed reliever Reed Garrett, who has been dealing with right elbow inflammation, will face hitters on Wednesday and might soon begin a rehab assignment. Meanwhile, Dedniel Nunez, who was placed on the injured list on Friday due to a right pronator strain, has not yet resumed throwing but is showing signs of improvement and could start playing catch later this week.
In a somewhat unexpected move, the Mets designated left-hander Jake Diekman for assignment on Monday. Diekman, who struggled with control issues, had a 10.80 ERA in July and had allowed runs in his last two outings. His place on the roster was taken by southpaw Matt Gage. Mendoza acknowledged the difficulty of the decision, praising Diekman’s professionalism and willingness to contribute despite his struggles. “It was a tough choice, especially considering Jake’s long tenure and professionalism,” Mendoza said. “But we needed to make a decision and move forward.”
Center fielder Harrison Bader returned to the lineup for the first time since injuring his right ankle against the Yankees last Tuesday. He went 1-for-3 with two runs scored and an RBI. Additionally, Jesse Winker made his first start as a Met in right field, contributing a single and a walk in three at-bats. Mendoza removed Winker after five innings to ease him into his new role, as he had previously been used primarily as a designated hitter by the Nationals.