Francisco Alvarez took another step in his comeback from his April surgery to repair a torn ligament in his left thumb by taking batting practice for the first time.
“I feel like a baseball player,’’ Alvarez said after the session on the field before the Mets faced the Giants at Citi Field.
Alvarez said he was swinging at full strength despite still wearing a splint on the thumb that prevents it from fully stretching out, noting, “I hit the ball 115 [MPH].”
The Mets expect to have Alvarez back behind the plate at some point before the end of June, but the catcher didn’t rule out an earlier return.
“If I keep feeling good, if I don’t feel anything in my thumb and my body feels good, maybe a couple weeks,” Alvarez said.
But he has several steps to go before that can become a reality.
He’ll see pitches off the high velocity machine, take live batting practice off a pitcher going at full speed and catch a bullpen prior to beginning a minor league rehab assignment.
Alvarez added he’s talked to Kansas City catcher Salvador Perez, who underwent a similar procedure to his left thumb two years ago.
Perez told Alvarez to take his time coming back and to be careful with the injury when hitting.
Still, Alvarez remains encouraged, saying, “Everything feels normal.”