MLB Player News

Alvarez is expected to be sidelined eight weeks after undergoing right meniscus surgery Thursday, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

On Wednesday, the Mets provided an initial timetable of 6-to-8 weeks, but after the operation was performed, the expectation now is that Alvarez will need the full eight weeks to recover. Luis Torrens will serve as the Mets' primary catcher while Alvarez is shelved, and Hayden Senger will slot in as the backup.

Mack is out of the lineup Thursday against Minnesota.

Mack went 1-for-4 with an RBI single, a run and two strikeouts in Wednesday's win over the Twins. The recently elevated rookie has seen consistent action since being added to Miami's roster May 4, with his absence Thursday ending a run of five straight starts. Liam Hicks will bat second and start at catcher over Mack in the series finale.

Ruiz is not in the lineup for Thursday's game in Cincinnati.

Ruiz started at catcher in the first two games of the series, so he'll take a seat in Thursday's afternoon tilt. Drew Millas will be behind the dish and bat ninth for the Nationals.

Stephenson went 1-for-4 with a walk and a grand slam in Wednesday's 8-7 extra-inning loss to the Nationals.

The backstop gave the Reds a 5-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning when he crushed an elevated Jake Irvin sinker over the left-field fence, but the game went sideways for Cincinnati from there. It was Stephenson's third career grand slam and also his third long ball of 2026 as he struggles to deliver consistent offense. Through 35 games, he's slashing just .187/.285/.308 with seven runs and 11 RBI despite plenty of red on his Statcast page -- Stephenson's 85th percentile average exit velocity of 91.9 mph would be a career high, and it comes with an 82nd-percentile hard-hit rate, 81st-percentile barrel rate and 93rd-percentile chase rate.

Baldwin went 1-for-4 with a solo home run during Atlanta's 4-1 win over the Cubs on Wednesday.

Baldwin was responsible for the game's first run after taking Shota Imanaga deep to center field in the fourth inning. It was Baldwin's second homer in the past three games and 11th of the campaign, which is tied for 11th most in the National League this season. He is slashing .295/.378/.520 with one steal, 33 RBI and 37 runs scored across 196 plate appearances.

Del Castillo will start at designated hitter and bat seventh in Wednesday's game against the Rangers.

Before sitting out Tuesday's 7-4 loss, Del Castillo had served as Arizona's designated hitter in seven straight games and went 3-for-21 with a double, two walks and three RBI over that stretch. With Gabriel Moreno returning from the injured list May 1, Del Castillo will likely see limited playing time behind the plate moving forward, but he's expected to be used in the strong side of a platoon at DH with Jose Fernandez.

Fermin is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Brewers.

He'll hit the bench after starting behind the plate in three of the Padres' previous four contests. Rodolfo Duran will step in as the Friars' starting catcher Wednesday.

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said Wednesday that Alvarez will undergo surgery to address the torn meniscus in his right knee, and the Mets are hopeful that the catcher will be able to return to action in 6-to-8 weeks, Jorge Castillo of ESPN.com reports.

Alvarez exited Tuesday's 10-2 win over the Tigers after twisting his knee and was placed on the 10-day IL earlier Wednesday when an MRI confirmed the meniscus tear. Mendoza said that an official timeline for Alvarez's return won't be established until surgery is performed, but the skipper's comments point to the young catcher getting a partial meniscectomy rather than a full repair, which would entail a multi-month recovery. Luis Torrens will start at catcher Wednesday against Detroit and is likely to serve as the Mets' primary backstop for however long Alvarez is shelved.

The Mets recalled Senger from Triple-A Syracuse on Wednesday.

Senger joined the big club after top backstop Francisco Alvarez (knee) was diagnosed with a torn meniscus and moved to the 10-day injured list. With Alvarez likely to be shelved for at least a month, Senger should be in store for an extended stint with the big club. Even so, Senger may get just a couple starts per week, as Luis Torrens is expected to settle in as the Mets' new primary catcher in Alvarez's absence.

The Mets placed Alvarez on the 10-day injured list Wednesday due to a right meniscus tear.

Alvarez sustained the injury during the sixth inning of the Mets' 10-2 win over the Tigers on Tuesday, when he twisted his right leg on a swing. He was diagnosed with the meniscus tear following an MRI on Wednesday and will now be sidelined indefinitely. A clearer timeline for Alvarez's return should be known once the Mets determine whether he'll require a partial or total meniscectomy to address the injury; a partial meniscectomy or trim would likely allow Alvarez to return in 4-to-6 weeks, whereas a full meniscus repair would keep him on the shelf for multiple months and potentially the rest of the season. New York called up Hayden Senger from Triple-A Syracuse to provide another option at catcher, but Luis Torrens should be in line to take over as the Mets' primary backstop.