New York Mets Assign Catcher With Feel-Good Story to Opening Day Roster

The opening on the New York roster occurred when starting catcher Francisco Alvarez broke a bone in his left hand during spring training and required surgery. He is on a timeline to return to action in mid-April.

No. 2 catcher Luis Torrens will start, with Senger backing him up.

Senger’s time in the Big Apple could be short; he could wind up back at Triple-A Syracuse when Alvarez returns. But Senger has impressed the Mets’ brass on the defensive side of the ball, with David Stearns, the team’s president of baseball operations, telling MLB.com that Stearns is “an elite defensive catcher” who has the confidence of the pitching staff.

“It is a good story,” Stearns said. “He’s not getting the job because it’s a good story. He’s getting the job because we think he can help us win games.”

Senger is a career .235 hitter in the minors with 23 homers and 154 RBIs in 402 games. In 54 games at Syracuse, however, he has hit .253 against Triple-A pitching.

In 14 spring training games, he was 5-for-24 with a double, home run and two RBIs.

No matter what happens when Alvarez returns, Senger always will be able to say he reached the major leagues with the Mets.

“It feels worth it,” Senger said about his time spent getting there, per MLB.com. “There’s a lot of downtime, and a lot of times when I felt like I was on top of the world. It’s a roller coaster playing in the minor leagues for that long. To be here, it does make it all worth it.”