The New York Mets received a significant boost on Tuesday with the activation of catcher Francisco Alvarez from the injured list. Alvarez had been sidelined since May 12 due to a torn meniscus in his right knee, leading to the optioning of catcher Hayden Senger back to Triple-A.

In his 37 games this season, Alvarez has posted a slash line of .241/.317/.393, including four home runs and an OPS+ of 100, which is competitive compared to the league average of .226/.299/.373 for catchers. Notably, Mets catchers not named Alvarez have struggled, combining for a mere .203/.248/.314.

Alvarez, who hit 25 home runs in 123 games as a rookie in 2023, still has untapped potential, a promising factor for a Mets lineup missing key players like Francisco Lindor (calf strain) and Luis Robert Jr. (herniated disc). Currently, the Mets rank 25th in MLB for runs scored and 29th in OPS and on-base percentage.

Despite a challenging season and sitting in last place in the National League East with a record of 29-36, the Mets have shown signs of improvement, going 7-4 since May 26. They are now gearing up for a critical three-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals.

The Mets find themselves five games out of the wild-card position, currently held by the Arizona Diamondbacks and San Diego Padres at 34-31. FanGraphs places their playoff odds at 21.5%, a modest improvement from 13.6% on May 26. Although the Mets face the toughest remaining schedule in MLB, the return of Alvarez offers hope for a turnaround in their season.