NEW YORK -- The New York Mets reinstated catcher Francisco Álvarez from the 10-day injured list Tuesday ahead of their series opener against the Miami Marlins.
Alvarez has been out since tearing the ulnar collateral ligament in his left thumb sliding into second base April 19 against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He underwent surgery on the thumb four days later.
To create roster space for Álvarez, the Mets designated catcher Tomas Nido for assignment. Álvarez was in the starting lineup Tuesday, batting eighth, marking the first time this season that the Mets will field their complete projected lineup this season. He rejoined a team with the third-worst record in the National League but still just 3.5 games out of the final Wild Card spot.
"I'm looking for wins," Álvarez said. "I come here and I want to win. I play hard to win."
Alvarez's injury left a hole in the Mets' lineup and behind the plate. The 22-year-old catcher, who clubbed 25 home runs as a rookie last season, was hitting .236 with one home run and eight RBIs in 16 games before the injury. Without him, Mets catchers batted .206 with five home runs and a .582 OPS in 45 games. The poor results sparked changes.
Two of the home runs were hit by Luis Torrens, who was acquired from the New York Yankees last week. He replaced Omar Narváez, who was designated for assignment after hitting .154 in 28 games. In six games with the Mets, Torrens has batted .313 with a 1.139 OPS -- good enough to win the backup catcher from Nido, who became the odd man out with Álvarez's return.
Nido, 30, spent parts of eight seasons with the Mets after the organization drafted him in the eighth round of the 2012 draft. He batted .229 with three home runs and a .623 OPS in 32 games this season.
"It was a tough one," Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. "And I've been saying it the past week: We were facing a very difficult decision here because of the two guys that were playing."
Alvarez has been rehabbing in the Mets' farm system. He caught a combined nine innings on Friday and Saturday for Triple-A Syracuse before serving as designated hitter on Sunday. He was the catcher a week ago with High-A Brooklyn for a combined no-hitter.
Álvarez said he won't have any limitations, but he will continue wearing a splint on his thumb for an indefinite period.
"The energy, the energy," Mendoza said when asked what Álvarez offers beyond a skill set that made him one of the sport's top prospects entering last season. "Not only behind the plate, in the locker room, in the dugout. He's very intense. He's competing every pitch. He's on the guys all the time. And he's good to have around."