Down two fingers, Francisco Alvarez has resumed an attempted comeback that nearly defies logic.
The young catcher went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts in his return to the lineup at DH for Triple-A Syracuse on Saturday, continuing a rehab assignment that had been stalled just three days earlier by a broken pinkie.
Alvarez was with Syracuse on Wednesday — in his first game trying to prove he can hit through and throw through a UCL strain in his right thumb that will require surgery at some point — when he was drilled, fracturing the pinkie on his left hand.
He returned to Queens, received a green light from doctors Thursday that allowed him to continue to try to play through the pain, and he shortly was back in the cage and behind the plate.
On Friday he took a few impressive rounds of batting practice and caught a bullpen session.
Mendoza said Alvarez looked “fine” catching — which requires him to receive the ball with a hand that contains a broken pinkie and throw with a hand that contains an injured thumb — and said Alvarez could be catching for Syracuse on Sunday.
“We’ll see how he gets through it,” said Mendoza, who chuckled several times in awe of a 23-year-old who apparently has an off-the-charts pain tolerance.
There is no clear timetable for when Alvarez would become an option, the Mets wanting to see him prove himself with his bat, glove and throwing arm.
Chris Devenski, who had been called up earlier in the day, pitched three scoreless, no-hit, one-walk innings in relief of David Peterson.
The veteran’s most recent outing of at least three innings without allowing a run: April 5, 2017, while with the Astros.
The Mets designated José Castillo for assignment for a third time this season to make space for Devenski.
During the 11-8 loss to the Marlins at Citi Field, Francisco Lindor smoked his ninth leadoff home run of the season, the most by a Met in one year.
Against Miami righty Edward Cabrera, Mendoza went with lefty-swinging but struggling Cedric Mullins in center field over righty Tyrone Taylor.
Mullins went 0-for-4 with a strikeout, walk and one steal of second base, which allowed Brett Baty to score from third base.
Taylor, whose bat had not come around most of the season, has gone 10-for-21 with four doubles in his past seven games.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
