One of the Philadelphia Phillies’ NL East competitors has received crushing injury news about an important player just more than two weeks before Opening Day.
With Opening Day for the 2025 MLB regular season fast approaching, the Philadelphia Phillies are set to dive back into another intense division battle. The NL East was incredibly competitive in 2024, with the division-winning Phillies finishing just six games ahead of their rivals, the New York Mets and Atlanta Braves. It remains to be seen if the 2025 race will be just as tight.
Although the NL East appears poised to be just as competitive, one of the Phillies’ rivals saw their chances take a significant blow after Sunday’s injury update.
Phillies News: Mets C Francisco Alvarez to Miss 6-8 Weeks With Fracture Wrist
On Sunday morning, MLB insider Jeff Passan reported that Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez has fractured his wrist. New York manager Carlos Mendoza confirmed that Alvarez will need surgery and will be out for six to eight weeks, meaning he’ll miss Opening Day.
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It’s unclear exactly when Alvarez sustained the injury. The 23-year-old Venezuelan catcher played against the Washington Nationals on Friday, so the fracture could have occurred during the game or afterward. Regardless, he’s expected to be sidelined until late April or early May at the earliest.
Alvarez’s injury isn’t a completely new setback, as he has dealt with hand and thumb injuries since the start of the 2023 season. He only played 100 games last year due to these issues.
Still, losing Alvarez for any amount of time is a blow for the Mets. He has emerged as one of the top up-and-coming catchers in MLB, accumulating 36 home runs, 110 RBIs, 64 walks, and a .716 OPS over 223 games in the past two years.
For the Phillies, however, Alvarez’s absence could work in their favor. The two teams are set to face off in a three-game series at Citi Field from April 21 to 23, and Philadelphia’s chances of taking the series improve if New York’s backup catcher, Luis Torrens, is behind the plate.
The full impact of Alvarez’s injury on the 2025 division race is still unclear. For now, FanDuel Sportsbook has the Braves as the favorite to win the NL East at +135, with the Phillies (+180) and Mets (+210) following closely behind as spring training progresses.
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