The New York Mets amended their catch depth chart ahead of Thursday’s game against the Chicago Cubs, activating Tomás Nido from the injured reserve and naming Gary Sánchez for assignment. Arguably the most notable aspect of these deals is that they guarantee youngster Francisco Alvarez will remain in the big league roster.
Nido, 29, has been sidelined since early May due to vision problems related to dry eye syndrome which he says developed as a complication of his previous LASIK eye surgery. He underwent a procedure that helps his eyes stay lubricated. “It kind of eased the eye pressure I had,” Nido told reporters last week, including MLB.com. “I felt like someone was pushing me on the head. I had a headache for 72 hours straight.”
Nido had appeared in 19 games before being placed on the shelf, hitting 0.118/0.148/0.118 (minus-24 OPS+) with no home runs or overtime hits. He was never much of an offensive threat, but it’s fair to think his vision issues impacted his ability to do damage.
Sánchez, 30, appeared in just three games with the Mets. He went 1 for 6 with an RBI and no extra hits. He joined the organization earlier in May after being released by the San Francisco Giants. It’s unclear if he’ll find another major league gig or accept a minor league assignment.
Alvarez, 21, hit .253/.316/.506 (124 OPS+) with six homers in 95 plate appearances. He entered the season ranked by CBS Sports as the No. 3 underage prospect. Alvarez is expected to remain the most active starter as veteran Omar Narváez is still unavailable after suffering a calf injury in April.
The Mets enter Thursday night’s game with a 25-25 record on the season.