Francisco Alvarez News: First homer since return

Alvarez went 2-for-3 with a solo home run in Friday's 8-3 loss to the Rangers.

The backstop got his team on the board by slicing a 98.2 mph fastball from Jacob deGrom over the wall in the right-field corner to lead off the third inning, but the Mets were already in a 6-0 hole at that point. It was Alvarez's eighth homer of the season, and his first in eight games since returning from his latest IL stint, but he's batting just .182 (4-for-22) during that span as he plays through both a fractured left index finger and a sprained right thumb, the latter of which will likely require offseason surgery. With Luis Torrens (forearm) on the shelf and New York desperately trying to hang onto a wild-card spot, however, Alvarez will get as much playing time as his pain tolerance allows.