The New York Mets have reassigned catcher Francisco Alvarez to Triple-A after a series of struggles following his return from hamate bone surgery. In his 138 plate appearances this season, Alvarez has been hitting just .236 with three home runs and a strikeout rate of 27.5%. The Mets, currently tied for the NL East lead, aim to avoid Alvarez developing bad habits by allowing him to regain his form in the minors. With his absence, Luis Torrens will start behind the plate, supported by the recently called-up Hayden Senger.

This decision also carries service time implications, as Alvarez has 2 years and 6 days of service time. Spending at least 26 days in the minors could delay his free agency, pushing it from 2028-29 to 2029-30. The Mets will be watching closely as they wrap up their series against the Philadelphia Phillies, where they hit a franchise record-tying seven home runs in their last game.