Reinforcements are waiting in the wings for the first-place Mets.
Jeff McNeil (right oblique strain) and Francisco Alvarez (fractured left hamate bone) each continued their respective rehab assignments on April 20 with Double-A Binghamton.
McNeil, batting leadoff and brandishing a ¡°Torpedo¡± bat, homered for the second consecutive day. He finished the game 4-for-4, playing eight innings at second base. Alvarez, meanwhile, hit directly behind McNeil and went 1-for-5 as the DH -- having previously caught nine innings in back-to-back games.
Sunday marked the sixth game of McNeil¡¯s rehab assignment, and the eighth rehab appearance for Alvarez. While both players are nearing a return to the Majors, their season debuts are not yet imminent.
¡°Most likely, they will continue to get at-bats,¡± Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said on Sunday. ¡°[Alvarez] from the medical standpoint, he¡¯s clear; now he¡¯s just continuing to work on his timing and things like that. Maybe a couple of more games in Triple-A and then we¡¯ll see where we are at. Same thing with [McNeil].¡±
Both players are slated to be at Citi Field on Monday for further evaluation, as the Mets begin a three-game series against the Phillies.
The eventual additions of McNeil and Alvarez will certainly lengthen New York¡¯s lineup. McNeil slashed .289/.376/.547 with seven home runs after the All-Star break last season, buoyed by a sudden power surge. The 23-year-old Alvarez is just two years removed from blasting 25 home runs as a rookie in 2023.
Luisangel Acu?a and Brett Baty have split time at second base in McNeil¡¯s absence, while Luis Torrens has seized the lion¡¯s share of time behind the plate. Notably, McNeil also drew a start in center field last week with Single-A St. Lucie, in the wake of outfielder Jose Siri landing on the IL with a fractured tibia.