NEW YORK -- Francisco Alvarez rejoined the New York Mets before Monday's 7-5 victory over the Los Angeles Angels after an unexpected four-week stint with Triple-A Syracuse, a demotion that manager Carlos Mendoza described as a "wake-up call," believing he is a changed player.
"I learned a lot of things," Alvarez, 23, said in Spanish before the win. "A lot of things that I think made me a different player."
Hitting eighth in Mendoza's lineup, Alvarez went 1-2 with two walks and two runs scored in the Monday's victory.
Two years removed from belting 25 home runs as a 21-year-old rookie, Alvarez reported to spring training in February with considerable changes to his swing mechanics. But the implementation process was sidetracked in early March when he broke the hamate bone in his left hand, delaying his season debut to April 25.
Alvarez never found his footing upon his return. He batted just .236 with three home runs and a .652 OPS in 35 games through June 21 while also displaying regression at catcher. The Mets then took the drastic measure to option Alvarez to Triple-A Syracuse hoping he would rebound in a pressure-free setting.
"Some of it was just once you get some poor results at the major league level, you can spiral down some rabbit holes," Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns said.
Stearns said he assumed Alvarez would need time to absorb the shock and overcome the disappointment. But he said he was pleasantly surprised by Alvarez's immediate willingness to accept the challenge and work to return to the majors.
"I think he understood and recognized that the way he was performing at the major-league level on both sides of the ball was not who he was," Stearns said. "And he took the opportunity away from the bright lights and the cameras and the pressure of a major league environment to work. And he improved very rapidly. This happened faster than I would have envisioned when we optioned him."
Alvarez knocked down the door to Queens with his performance for Syracuse by clubbing 11 home runs in 19 games, including seven over his final six. Stearns acknowledged Alvarez's final weekend before All-Star break -- he went 6 for 11 with four home runs in three games -- accelerated the timeline. But the organization also wanted Alvarez to rediscover himself behind the plate, to return to his days as a natural, athletic catcher not bogged down by the mechanics of the position.
"Yeah, we saw the results," Mendoza said. "It seemed like for the last week he hit a home every day. But just how engaged he was with the pitching staff. Everything from the defensive side -- the receiving, the blocking, the throwing, the game-planning, the game-calling, everything. He was open for feedback. It was just pretty impressive and we're all proud of him because it's not easy to do."
Mendoza said Alvarez will assume most of the starts at catcher, moving Luis Torrens back to a backup role. Catcher Hayden Senger was optioned to Syracuse to make room for Alvarez on the active roster. Without Alvarez, Mets catchers combined for a 90 wRC+ since June 22, tied for the seventh-worst mark in the majors. The Mets believe they'll receive a significant boost from a familiar face performing like a different player.
"Being down in Triple-A, I learned how to be patient," Alvarez said. "I needed to keep working to be in the major leagues again."