:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72155041/1478217173.0.jpg)
The New York Mets are gearing up to call up No. 1 prospect Francisco Alvarez. Starting catcher Omar Narvaez suffered a strain of his left calf. It is being called a high-grade strain, and the typical return time is 8-9 weeks. He is heading to the IL, leaving only Tomas Nido as the lone catcher on the MLB roster.
Omar Narváez underwent imaging this morning that revealed a medium to high-grade strain of his left calf. He will be placed on the Injured List. A typical return to play for this type of injury is 8-9 weeks.
— New York Mets (@Mets) April 6, 2023
Omar Narvaez injury update
June 3 Update — Narvaez is expected to be activated from the 60-day IL early next week. The problem is that he may not be walking back into the starting role with how well Francisco Alvarez has been hitting the ball. At worst, he will back up Alvarez, but at least will provide some necessary depth to the New York bench.
Narvaez is playing in his eighth career season and his first with the Mets. He has played in five games this season and is hitting .286 with two RBI. Narvaez provided some stability to the New York batting order, which has gotten off to a slow start.
There is more excitement around Alvarez, but theoretically, there is a reason that the team sent him down to start the regular season. If he sputters out of the gate, the Mets could find themselves in a deep hole that is tough to climb out of as we continue into the meaty part of the season.
Alvarez is currently ranked as the No. 2 prospect at MLB.com. He played in five major league games last season and hit .167 with two hits in 12 at-bats. Alvarez played in 112 minor league games in 2022 and hit a combined .260 between AA and AAA. He had 22 doubles, 27 home runs and 78 RBI.