Big league catchers wear plenty of armor because they have to. They take a beating behind the plate, and somehow the foul balls and errant backswings always manage to find the soft spots in between the equipment.
But New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez has a different problem. He keeps getting drilled by opponents on the mound, and the latest shot he took from San Diego Padres rookie right-hander Bradgley Rodriguez last night had him holding his arm and hoping to avoid an MRI.
"Looked like it didn't hit him in the elbow, it was more like the triceps muscle area," said Mets manager Carlos Mendoza about the 100-mph fastball after last night's game. "We'll see how he feels [tonight], but as of right now, we're not planning on doing any X-rays or anything like that."
Alvarez might not be quite as quick to brush it off. He’s been hit on the hand or arm three times in the last three weeks. He was rehabbing from a right thumb injury back in August at Syracuse when a pitch broke his pinkie, and on Saturday reliever Cole Winn of the Texas Rangers got him again.
Winning cures all ills, though, and Alvarez was spotted late last night grinning in the dugout while sporting a large wrap on his left arm as the Mets wrapped up their 8-3 victory. He was in the lineup for tonight’s game against the Padres, and hopefully he’ll have a more pleasant evening in the middle game of this three-game series.
Shots like the won he took are also the price of winning to at least some extent. Laughers like last night often result in rookies and September call-ups taking the mound, and that’s when guys like Rodriguez can do damage. Alvarez was lifted for a pinch hitter as fellow backstop Hayden Senger took over behind the plate.
The Mets can’t afford any injuries right now. Alvarez has been more than serviceable behind the plate this year, and he’s been much more productive offensively than catcher Luis Torrens. Alvarez has had some slumps here and there, but he’s over .250, so he helps add some length to the lineup.
He also did a nice job of getting pitchers Clay Holmes and Sean Manaea through what was basically a piggy-back game, with Manaea getting the win after giving up just one run in five frames. The Mets would love to get more games like that from the big guy, who reacted well to being demoted to the bullpen when his struggles as a starter became too significant to ignore.