Mets opt for Torrens as backup, DFA Nido as Alvarez returns

NEW YORK – Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez was back in the lineup on Tuesday, hitting eighth against the Marlins, after he was reinstated from the 10-day injured list. It is his first game since April 19, when he tore a ligament in his left thumb running the bases against the Dodgers. Surgery was performed on the thumb four days later.

Alvarez said he doesn’t have any limitations, though he will be wearing a splint on his thumb. He missed playing and was bored, he said, until he started working on his swing and catching bullpen sessions in late May. He then started his rehab assignment on May 30, which was split between High-A Brooklyn and Double-A Binghamton.

“I couldn’t do anything,” Alvarez said. “When I started to do a little more, I started to feel a little bit better. When I started hitting, I started to feel better.”

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said Alvarez will bring energy behind the plate, in the dugout and locker room. Before the injury, Alvarez had slashed .236/.288/.364.

“He is very intense. He is competing in every pitch. … It’s good to have him back,” Mendoza said.

With Alvarez back in the fold, New York designated catcher Tomás Nido for assignment. Nido improved the team’s defense behind the plate and went 19-for-83 (.229) with three home runs and eight RBIs.

But all the playing time during the London Series against the Phillies went to Luis Torrens, whom the Mets have chosen to serve as backup catcher going forward. Torrens has been a pleasant surprise since joining the Mets on May 31, going 5-for-16 (.313) with two home runs and four RBIs.

“I’ve been saying it the past week: We were facing a difficult decision here because of the two guys who were playing,” Mendoza said. “Nido did one hell of a job. When Alvarez went down, the way [Nido] took care of the pitching staff. … [And] he had some big hits for us. The running game improved when he came up. But once we got [Torrens], we needed to see what we had. … We saw a lot of improvement when [Torrens] was in Triple-A before he was promoted.”

Díaz back in the 'pen: Mets reliever Edwin Díaz, on the 15-day injured list because of right shoulder impingement, threw a bullpen on Tuesday without having any problems, according to Mendoza. Díaz will have Wednesday off and is scheduled to be activated from the IL on Thursday.

Before the injury, Díaz wasn’t even close to being the pitcher that dominated hitters and won the Trevor Hoffman Award in 2022. In 20 games this season, Díaz allowed 12 earned runs in 20 innings.