The New York Mets changed their catch depth chart ahead of Thursday’s game against the Chicago Cubs, activating Tomás Nido off the injured list and designating Gary Sánchez for assignment. Perhaps the most notable aspect of those transactions is that they keep young Francisco Alvarez on the big league roster.
Nido, 29, has been sidelined since early May due to vision problems related to dry eye syndrome, which he says arose as a complication of his previous LASIK eye surgery. He underwent a procedure that keeps his eyes lubricated. “It kind of relieved the eye pressure I had,” Nido told reporters last week, including MLB.com. “I felt like someone was pushing on my head. I had a headache for 72 hours straight.”
Nido had appeared in 19 games before being shelved, hitting .118/.148/.118 (minus-24 OPS+) with no home runs or extra-base punches. He’s never really been much of an offensive threat, but it’s fair to think his vision issues have affected his ability to deal damage.
Sánchez, 30, appeared in just three games with the Mets. He went 1 for 6 with a run batted in and zero extra-basehits. He joined the organization earlier in May after being released by the San Francisco Giants. It is unclear if he will find another major league appearance, or if he will accept a minor league assignment.
Alvarez, 21, hit .253/.316/.506 (124 OPS+) with six home runs in 95 at bats. He entered the season ranked by CBS Sports as the No. 3 in the minors. Alvarez remains starter most days as veteran Omar Narváez remains unavailable following a calf injury in April.
The Mets go into Thursday night’s game with a season-high 25-25 record.