The New York Mets are expected to place catcher Omar Narvaez on the injured list on Thursday after imaging revealed that he had suffered a medium- to high-grade strain of his left calf. Such an injury tends to entail a recovery timetable of eight to nine weeks, according to the team's estimate. Once Narváez is officially placed on the IL, the Mets are expected to recall catcher Francisco Álvarez to the majors, according to MLB.com's Anthony DiComo. (The Mets already had him en route to Citi Field, just in case Narváez's injury proved to be significant.)
Álvarez, who made his big-league debut late last year, was recently ranked by CBS Sports as the third-best prospect in the minors:
Álvarez reached the majors late last season when the Mets were seeking another capable right-handed bat for their postseason run. He didn't fare well in five regular season games, but ultimately it doesn't matter. Álvarez has big-time raw power and he's improved his defense enough to bet on him sticking at catcher. Strikeouts are always going to be part of his game, and he's been pull-heavy in the minors, a combination that may limit his batting average upside. Even if it does, there's more than enough pop-and-walk potential here for him to become an offensive force.
Narváez, 31, joined the Mets over the winter on a one-year agreement. In five games to date, he's batted .286/.353/.286 (78 OPS+) with two runs batted in. Although Narváez struggled last season, he's established himself as a solid hitter over the course of 2,100 plate appearances. Indeed, he has a career OPS+ of 100 on the nose.
Even so, you can't blame anyone excited to see the 21-year-old Álvarez get a bigger opportunity to stick. In four games at the Triple-A level this season, he's hit .250/.368/.688 with two home runs. Álvarez posted a .786 OPS in five games following his promotion last year. He also recorded a single at-bat in the postseason, in which he struck out.
The Mets will pair Álvarez with veteran Tomás Nido. It stands to reason that Nido, a right-handed batter, could receive much of the playing time against lefties.
Narváez is the latest in a growing list of notable injuries suffered by the Mets. New York's roster is currently without Justin Verlander, José Quintana, and Edwin Díaz, among others.
