Mets begin homestand with Alvarez’s early return and Senga setback
Francisco Alvarez returns ahead of schedule while Kodai Senga faces further delay due to nerve irritation.
The New York Mets open a six-game homestand at Citi Field on Tuesday night, hosting the St Louis Cardinals in the first game of a three-game series. The matchup features Freddy Peralta on the mound for New York against Dustin May for the visitors. Peralta enters the contest with a 4-4 record and a 3.63 earned run average, coming off a six-inning performance that allowed one earned run against the Mariners. May, making his 13th start of the season, holds a 3-6 record with a 4.59 ERA.
A significant development for the Mets’ lineup is the early return of catcher Francisco Alvarez. Alvarez, who tore his right meniscus on 12 May and was initially projected to miss six to eight weeks, has rejoined the roster less than a month later. He is scheduled to bat ninth and will split catching duties with Luis Torrens, also serving as designated hitter on certain days to manage his workload.
Alvarez credited the training staff for accelerating his recovery through immediate rehabilitation efforts. Manager Carlos Mendoza indicated that the coaching staff will oversee the management of Alvarez’s workload in the days following his return. The strategy involves utilizing off days and rotating responsibilities to keep Torrens in the fold while integrating Alvarez back into the daily operations.
Conversely, pitcher Kodai Senga faces an additional delay in his return to the major league roster. Senga was scratched from a scheduled Double-A rehab start with Binghamton due to ulnar nerve irritation in his right arm. The right-hander noted that the issue arose during mechanical adjustments and was exacerbated by treatment effects that left him feeling looser than anticipated.
Senga is considered day-to-day and is not expected to be shut down. He participated in catch sessions off the mound on Tuesday and is anticipated to make a rehab start later in the week. In three recent rehab appearances across Single-A and Triple-A levels, Senga has allowed seven earned runs over 12 innings, prompting a cautious approach to his reintegration into the active rotation.
