Carroll’s Column: Mets hoping Francisco Álvarez’s thumb injury isn’t too severe

Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports

NEW YORK, NY — The New York Mets were hit with yet another injury earlier in the month of August with Francisco Álvarez going down due to a UCL sprain in his right thumb and put on the 10-day injured list. 

Hopefully, there will come a season when the Mets’ catcher does not spend any time on the injured list. However, it won’t be 2025 as he injured his thumb sliding head-first into second base to ensure getting a double. This will mark the third time in three years that Álvarez will require thumb surgery. 

Hand injuries are going to be part of a catcher’s job description. What is frustrating is this one was preventable. Mets coaches should have been working with Álvarez from the time he was in the minor leagues to slide into a base feet-first since that reduces injury risk even if it may result in being thrown out more often.

The Mets are hoping Álvarez can play through pain and finish the season before undergoing his thumb procedure. I don’t see any good coming from that, although I understand the hopes of Mets management. Álvarez provides a quality bat to an offense that sorely needs it. It is hard to imagine Álvarez being able to grip a bat the way he should, however. 

Luis Torrens is a quality understudy who is a defensive wiz. As is often the case with backup catchers, he offers little offense although he is not an automatic out. That honor goes to the current third-string Mets backstop, Hayden Senger, who has an anemic bat to say the least. I am still puzzled as to why the Mets never call up their 2022 top draft pick, catcher Kevin Parada, who has had a decent, though far from stellar, minor-league career, when Álvarez is out of action. As the old cliche goes, it is time to get off the pot when it comes to Parada.

If the Álvarez thumb situation were not enough to further frustrate the Flushing faithful, outfielder Brandon Nimmo reported a recurrence of a stiff neck issue.

Nimmo did not think it would cause him to be placed on the injured list, but like anyone who has ever had neck or back issues, it is impossible to place a timetable on recovery, and there are no guarantees it will not recur. 

Francisco Lindor’s newest podcast: “Café con Lindor” 

Major League Baseball asked Mets All-Star shortstop Francisco Lindor to host a podcast called “Café con Lindor,” in which he gets to chat with boldfaced names from all walks of life. As expected, the personable Lindor is quite good at conversing with celebrities. In his most recent episode, Francisco gets hoops star, and huge Mets fan, Donovan Mitchell, to discuss his rivalry with Knicks guard, and diehard Yankees fan, Josh Hart. 

While I have always admired Lindor for his many interests and commercial endorsement deals, it would be good optics for Lindor to pause his podcast until the season is over given the Mets’ struggle to earn a wildcard playoff berth. 

Frankie Montas shut down with UCL injury in right elbow

It is safe to say Mets baseball president of operations, David Stearns, regrets giving pitcher Frankie Montas a two-year, $34 million contract last winter. Montas missed the first half of the 2025 season with a strained lat. When he returned after the All-Star Game, he was so ineffective that manager Carlos Mendoza had to stick him in the bullpen. On Saturday, the Mets announced Montas was shut down again because of a UCL issue in his right elbow which will require Tommy John surgery.

The odds are Montas will have to miss the 2026 season as he recovers. 

Nationals take two of three against Mets in nation’s capital 

Mets fans were understandably upset that their team lost two out of three games to one of baseball’s worst teams, the Washington Nationals in DC last week.

Eagle-eyed fans who were watching the games on SNY had an extra reason to be miffed. 

The Nationals had signage behind home plate advertising for an August 29th concert starring Queens’ own Ja Rule, and Ashanti, who grew up close by in Glen Cove. Their show is included in the cost of the ticket for that game. 

The Mets used to have postgame concerts before the pandemic. I remember seeing Foreigner, Huey Lewis & the News, and being frustrated because weather issues postponed a Steve Miller Band performance. It would be nice if the Mets revived them for 2026, especially if the team suffers a September collapse. 

Giants and Jets gearing up for 2025-2026 NFL regular season

Unlike past seasons, the Giants look strong at the quarterback position with Russell Wilson, Jameis Winston, and first-round draft choice Jaxson Dart, who was very impressive during the just-concluded preseason. 

The same cannot be said for the Jets. Starting QB Justin Fields can avoid defensive linemen with his nimble legs, but his arm strength is a big question mark. Backup Tyrod Taylor missed the preseason and his return to the roster has not been determined. Adrian Martinez and Brady Cook took most of the reps during the Jets’ three exhibition games. Neither particularly distinguished themselves. 

Eagles-Jets preseason game marked debut of CBS NFL broadcasting team of Ian Eagle and JJ Watt

Last Friday’s game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the New York Jets marked the debut of the CBS NFL broadcasting team of Forest Hills High alum Ian Eagle and former NFL All-Pro defensive lineman JJ Watt. The two exhibited such relaxed chemistry that you would have thought they had been working together for years. They accurately called the action and informed viewers about the young players who were vying for NFL jobs while mixing in well-timed humor. 

“The Home Team: NY Jets” available on Prime Video

Speaking of the Jets, Prime Video has released a six-part documentary on the 2024 Jets titled “The Home Team: NY Jets.” Whereas HBO’s “Hard Knocks” looks at a football team with the emphasis on when the players are in uniform and occasionally eavesdrops on their off-field lives, “The Home Team: NY Jets” does the reverse. We learn about the worries about family, finances, and health which confronted current and former Jets as Quennen Williams, Alijah Vera-Tucker, Allen Lazard, Tyler Conklin, Chuck Clark, and CJ Mosley.

Given how miserable the 2024 season was for the Jets, these players who were willing to open their homes to the filmmakers deserve plaudits for their bravery. 

ESPN’s Fanfare in the Big Apple

ESPN made a splashy launch of their direct-to-consumer app designed for those consumers who eschew cable and satellite television providers. ESPN contracted with the MTA to transform an “E” train into the “ESPN train” last Thursday at the World Trade Center. Leading the fanfare was the New York Giants G-Line Band, and a slew of mascots including Mr. And Mrs. Met. ESPN executives, led by CEO Jimmy Pitaro, rode the train to Spring Street. After they disembarked, a loudspeaker at the station played an announcement promoting the app from the face of ESPN on-air talent, Hollis native Stephen A. Smith. 

Streaming Update for WWE

World Wrestling Entertainment executives must have a “no streaming service/cable network left behind” business policy. Their “Monday Night Raw” runs on Netflix and their “Friday Night Smackdown” runs on USA Network. Earlier this month the company announced it had signed a five-year deal with ESPN to have the Worldwide Leader in Sports broadcast their premium live events.

Last week, the WWE announced that its longtime streaming home, Peacock, would have the rights to four “Saturday Night Main Event” presentations a year.

Phil Simms set to call Big Ten college football games on Peacock

Legendary Giants QB Phil Simms will be calling Big Ten college football games this fall on Peacock. Simms was a fixture on CBS’s “NFL Today” for years before he and Boomer Esiason were let go after the 20203 NFL season.

Kevin Youkilis takes part in online seminar with Anti-Defamation League

The Anti-Defamation League had former Boston Red Sox star infielder Kevin Youkilis take part in an online seminar last Wednesday evening. Youkilis hails from a Rumanian Jewish family and grew up in Cincinnati. Many understandably thought he was a Greek American, and he does have a deep affinity for that community.

Youkilis said he encountered some anti-Semitism during his playing career, but it seemed to come out of ignorance rather than hatred. He said his teammates were always supportive when he did not play on Yom Kippur. 

Kevin will once again be a coach for Team Israel in this March’s World Baseball Classic. He stated matter-of-factly that he expected protests outside Miami’s LoanDepot Park. He said his team would not be intimidated by any organized hostility. 

An Action Packed Fan Week and more for 2025 US Open

A rainy Wednesday did not dampen 2025 US Open Fan Week which concluded Saturday at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

There was no admission to charge for attending the qualifiers which featured some players who have had success in past Opens. One such player was Chris Eubanks who had a good run in the 2023 US Open Men’s Singles competition. Injuries in 2024 hurt his rankings. Unfortunately for Eubanks, he lost in three sets in the first round of the 2025 qualifiers.

The US Open is as well known for cuisine as it is for the best tennis in the world. There are enough choices to please even the most selective eaters. If you are watching your calories, you can enjoy salads from Jamaica’s The Nourish Spot. They are also known for their lemonades and smoothies. The best bang for the buck from the concessions on the grounds of the Billie Jean King Tennis Center are the thinly sliced prime rib sandwiches ($25) and sliced Angus beef steak sandwiches ($28) from Pat LaFrieda Meat Purveyors.

If you want a more upscale and leisurely dining experience at the Open, you should try the grilled mahi tacos at Mojito or the porterhouse steak at Champions which comes from Manhattan’s Benjamin Steakhouse.

You can read more of Lloyd Carroll’s columns posted weekly on The Queens Chronicle.