Mets finally get good news as top player returns earlier than expected

The New York Mets got a rare piece of good news on Sunday when they activated slugger Pete Alonso from the 10-day injured list and put him in the starting lineup for their game against the St. Louis Cardinals.

Alonso had been sidelined with a bone bruise after being hit in the wrist a little more than a week ago.

The original timeframe called for Alonso to miss as much as three-to-four weeks with the injury, but he ended up returning after just 10 days and missing only eight games. The Mets went 3-5 in his absence.

The Mets have been one of the most disappointing teams in baseball this season for multiple reasons. 

Injuries have certainly played a role with Alonso, Edwin Diaz, Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander all dealing with various injuries that have kept them out of the lineup at times. Diaz, one of the league's top closers, has not pitched at all this season and will likely miss the entire year after suffering a knee injury at the World Baseball Classic. 

New York entered the season with sky-high expectations after winning 100 games a year ago and spending more than $300 million on this year's payroll.

But entering play on Saturday the Mets are just 33-37 and in fourth place in the National League East, already 11.5 games behind the first place Atlanta Braves. 

Prior to his injury, Alonso had been one of the few bright spots on the team. He is second in the major leagues with 22 home runs (first in the National League), trailing only Los Angeles Angers superstar Shohei Ohtani, who just jumped ahead of him on Saturday with his 23 home run.