Jul 21, 2025; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez (4) reacts during the third inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Red Sox legend reveals Francisco Alvarez's bleak Mets future amid injury

Originally posted on New York Mets on SI | By Grant Young | Last updated Aug 21, 2025 3:00 PM ET

On August 19, news broke that New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez would be heading to the 10-day IL with a right thumb sprain. Specifically, Alvarez sprained the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his thumb, which stemmed from him sliding headfirst into second base during the Mets' Little League Classic game on August 17.

When speaking about this injury, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza conveyed that Alvarez will be reevaluated in 10-14 days. And while Alvarez is going to need surgery to f ix the thumb at some point, there's a chance he can play through the injury if he's able to manage the pain that comes with doing so.

Alvarez's hands have been a common cause for concern this season, as he missed the first chunk of New York's 2025 campaign because of a fractured hamate bone in his left hand. While a sprain would seemingly be less worrisome than a broken bone, the reality is that the former could pose much worse future problems for the Mets' backstop.

Dustin Pedroia Gets Brutally Honest About Alvarez's Injury

One of the most beloved players among the Boston Red Sox franchise is Dustin Pedroia, who spent all 14 seasons of his MLB career in Boston, which included when they won the 2007 and 2013 World Series. He was also the AL MVP in 2008.

Pedroia suffered a torn UCL in his left thumb in the 2013 season. How ever, since he didn't want to miss time, he played through the injury during that entire year — and suffered because of it.

Pedroia spoke with Mark W. Sanchez of the New York Post for an August 21 article regarding Alvarez's injury. And while Pedroia admitted that Alvarez could play through his thumb ailment, he advises against it.

Among what Pedroia said was that the pain in playing through it, "Is going to suck". What's more, the former MVP said that he still feels pain in his thumb, which he believes is a result of playing with the injury for so long. Pedroia also said that he essentially couldn't practice in the infield, didn't take batting practice, and that his power was zapped because of the thumb (which is proven by his stats in that 2013 season).

Dustin Pedroia knows possible consequences Mets’ Francisco Alvarez faces from ‘doable’ injury plan https://t.co/dIZArMmX2C pic.twitter.com/pXi1JrC1mf
— New York Post Sports (@nypostsports) August 21, 2025

Pedroia promised that playing through the injury would come with a lot of adjustments. And ultimately, he said that the decision to play through the torn UCL in his thumb was "probably not" a smart one, and that he should have gotten surgery right away instead.

It's worth noting that Alvarez and Pedroia are in different positions, given that Pedroia injured his thumb on Opening Day in 2013. Therefore, Alvarez has much less time he'd have to play through the injury.

Then again, Alvarez is a catcher, which requires more use of his thumb than Pedroia. It will be interesting to see what decision Alvarez comes to, and how it impacts his future.

This article first appeared on New York Mets on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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