Luis

Torrens

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.

Torrens, who was set to become a free agent next offseason, will remain in New York through 2028 in a backup role behind Francisco Alvarez. ESPN’s Jorge Castillo adds that the deal contains an additional $2 million in performance-based incentives.

Alvarez, who has hit third three times and fourth once in the last four games, continues to lose playing time due to Juan Soto being confined to DH duties for the time being. Luis Torrens is starting against RHP Miles Mikolas and the Nationals. Alvarez has slumped badly of late, with just three hits since April 18. His OPS is down from .894 to .691 since then.

Torrens drew much better reviews for his defense than his offense while playing more than expected for the Mets last season, but Statcast believes he was terribly unlucky to come in at just .226/.284/.345, crediting him an xBA of .280 and an xSLG of .450. Still, the Mets will want Torrens to serve as more of a true backup to Francisco Alvarez if all goes well this year. It’s Torrens’ final season before free agency.

There doesn’t appear to be anything wrong physically with the 25-year-old slugger, it’s just a routine night off. Francisco Alvarez will slide into the designated hitter spot in the Mets’ lineup while Luis Torrens will start behind the dish and bat ninth against Marlins’ right-hander Sandy Alcantara.