Francisco Alvarez injury update holds surprisingly good news for Mets

The New York Mets were holding their breath after catcher Francisco Alvarez suffered a thumb injury on Friday during a win over the Dodgers.

As expected, Alvarez is heading to the Injured List. That's the bad news. The good news is he might not be there that long.

Even though Alvarez will be out for at least 15 days, his injury was diagnosed as a "left thumb sprain." That means the thumb wasn't fractured and, for now, it doesn't sound like there was a severe tear requiring surgery.

Without knowing the severity of the sprain, it's impossible to say how long the catcher will be out. However, this was one of the more positive outcomes.

Mets call up Tomas Nido to replace Francisco Alvarez

The Mets have to fill the gap left by Alvarez whether he's out for a few of weeks or longer. So they've called up Tomas Nido from Triple-A Syracuse.

Nido isn't exactly a great option offensively. In 22 appearances last season, he slashed .125/.153/.125. His OPS+ was an abysmal -21.

There is room for optimism as Nido was .345/.345/.517 with Syracuse so far this year. If nothing else, he is capable of holding down the fort defensively.

Of course, the Mets will want their No. 1 catcher back as soon as possible. Last year, he hit 25 home runs. New York needs his bat and his glove.

Friday's victory was the fifth in a row for the Mets. Since starting the season 0-5, they are 11-3.

NY has another date with the Dodgers on Saturday and Sunday in Los Angeles, then they'll head to San Francisco to face the Giants before heading home for a stretch.