Carlos Mendoza Announces Reason for Mets' Unexpected Change Before Cubs Game

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Gavin Groe | Last updated Sep 25, 2025 6:21 PM ET

The New York Mets are in a tight race for the final NL wild card spot, entering Thursday with a one-game lead over both the Arizona Diamondbacks and Cincinnati Reds. After looking like one of the best teams in baseball during the first half, the Mets’ lack of pitching depth has been exposed—leading to a second-half collapse.

As they attempt to salvage their season and secure back-to-back postseason appearances, Francisco Alvarez has emerged as one of their most reliable offensive contributors. Alvarez’s recent stretch is even more impressive considering he’s playing through multiple injuries, including a sprained right thumb that will require offseason surgery and a fractured pinkie on his left hand. Throughout 38 appearances since the All-Star break, the 23-year-old backstop has posted a .286 batting average, .370 on-base percentage, .968 OPS, eight home runs and 21 RBIs, adding much-needed depth to the lineup.

Carlos Mendoza Shares Disappointing Injury News

Ahead of Thursday’s matchup against the Chicago Cubs, Alvarez was notably absent from the lineup, with Luis Torrens starting behind the plate instead. The move was especially surprising given Alvarez’s recent success, as he has homered in back-to-back games and has thrived at Wrigley Field.

However, during pregame, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza announced that Alvarez had been dealt yet another setback, as his lower back was cramping on Wednesday, leading to his removal from the lineup for the series finale (per MLB.com's Anthony DiComo).

Carlos Mendoza says he's not starting Francisco Alvarez, who has homered in consecutive games and owns a 1.844 career OPS at Wrigley Field, because his lower half was cramping toward the end of last night's game.
— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) September 25, 2025

This comes at an unfortunate time, as the pressure is mounting on New York to win after the Reds beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 2–1 earlier on Thursday, trimming the lead for the NL wild card spot to 0.5 games. It’s also disappointing, as Alvarez is already playing through so many injuries, yet he has shown the ability to push through for the team and will be available off the bench.

Alvarez struggled to begin the season and has completely turned his year around, reaching his full potential and becoming one of the club’s lone second-half bright spots. The Mets’ catcher is playing in his fourth season with the organization after making his big-league debut in 2022 at just 20 years old.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: