Luis Torrens homers, drives in four to lead Mets

A few teams, including the White Sox, have been circling Torrens to improve their catching situation, but the Mets don’t appear willing to “indulge” those interests, according to Heyman. The Mets view Torrens as one of the best defensive catchers in the sport and have him under contract for just $4.75 million next season. Considering the Mets are not considering adopting any kind of rebuild, even as they are clear sellers at this year’s deadline, it would make some sense to keep Torrens around if they believe he’s a crucial part of a team they hope will compete for a World Series in 2027.

It wouldn’t be surprising if the Mets were willing to listen to offers for most of their players, but it would be surprising if they dealt Alvarez. The catcher is just 24 years old and is hitting .260/.332/.449 in 70 games this season with 12 home runs. Injuries have been a major problem for him in his career, but the Mets will likely hold onto him and deal away a veteran like Torrens. Bowden mentioned that the White Sox, who just lost Kyle Teel, have been linked to Torrens.

Alvarez has started every game this week either behind the plate or as the designated hitter, so he’ll get a well-deserved breather in this one. Luis Torrens will start behind the dish and bat eighth for the Mets against Braves’ southpaw Martin Perez.

Alvarez takes a seat for the second straight game with Luis Torrens handling the catching duties. The 24-year-old backstop is presumably being closely monitored from a workload standpoint after making it back to New York is roughly one month after undergoing surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee.

Torrens doubled and scored in the third inning, then gave the Mets a pair of insurance runs with a two-run homer off Michael King in the fifth. The 30-year-old backstop has been solid filling in for Francisco Alvarez, hitting .233/.288/.350 with one homer, 13 runs scored, and 15 RBI across 113 plate appearances. Though Alvarez, currently on a rehab assignment, is making his way back from meniscus surgery. He’s expected to be activated as early as Tuesday when the Mets begin a six-game homestand.

It’s a significant loss for the injury-plagued Mets, who will be without their starting catcher until at least late June, in a best-case scenario. It’s possible he’s on the shelf until after the All-Star break in mid-July. The 24-year-old backstop suffered the injury during Tuesday’s contest against the Tigers. It’ll be defensive specialist Luis Torrens taking over the catching duties in his absence.

Best-case scenario for a meniscus tear is typically 4-6 weeks, but it can be considerably longer, depending on how Alvarez and doctors want to address it surgically. Alvarez was hitting .241/.317/.393 with four homers, all of which came in his first 14 games of the season. He’s had just a .539 OPS in his last 23 games. The switch to Luis Torrens as a starting catcher won’t hurt the Mets, but they definitely will feel Alvarez’s absence when Torrens needs a day off and they have to turn to Hayden Senger.

Alvarez will undergo an MRI on Wednesday, according to a team statement. The 24-year-old backstop left the contest following a sixth-inning at-bat where he appeared to be in serious discomfort following a swing. He finished 1-for-2 with a double and a run scored and was replaced by Luis Torrens behind the plate. It’s too early to draw any conclusions, but it certainly seems like a trip to the injured list is a potential outcome. There should be additional clarity on his status at some point prior to Wednesday’s game.

Alvarez appeared to be in some serious discomfort and limped off the field following a sixth-inning at-bat. It appeared to be some sort of right leg issue. He was 1-for-2 with a double and a run scored prior to exiting. He was replaced by Luis Torrens behind the plate. There should be an update on his status shortly.

The deal is now official. Torrens will remain in New York through at least 2028 as one of the better backup catchers in the game. The 30-year-old impending free agent’s value is primarily on the defensive side where he remains elite at throwing out opposing would-be basestealers. He’ll continue backing up Francisco Alvarez for the next couple years.