New York Mets Send Slugger Pete Alonso to Rare Stint on Injured List

New York Mets place slugger Pete Alonso on injured list in rare move

New York Mets slugger and first baseman Pete Alonso injured his left wrist and is expected to miss the next three to four weeks.

Atlanta Braves pitcher Charlie Morton hit Alonso with a 97 mph fastball that bounced off Alonso's left wrist. Morton said he was absent from the pitch and never had the intention of hitting Alonso.

"That's part of being successful in the major leagues," Mets manager Buck Showalter said.

The first X-ray came back negative, much to the relief of many fans. Alonso underwent an MRI and other imaging tests and consulted with other experts to determine the severity of his wrist injury.

The Mets ultimately diagnosed Alonso with a sprained wrist and a bone bruise. They placed him on the IL and expect to be back in three to four weeks. The Mets hope he can return before the All-Star Game on July 11.

The Mets lost their best player and an RBI machine who led the majors with 22 home runs. The Mets are currently 31-35 and currently four games below .500, struggling. Losing Alonso to a serious injury could ultimately derail the entire season.

The Mets won 101 games last season but were defeated by the San Diego Padres in the NL Wild Card Series.

Alonso on track to hit 60 home runs

The Mets lost one of their most consistent players. In an era of load management and teams taking a conservative approach to resting the least injured stars, Alonso is a step backwards. Alonso had played in nearly 97.5 percent of the Mets' games since 2019 before suffering a wrist injury.

Alonso appeared in 161 games as a rookie and hit a career-high 53 home runs in 2019. Even in the second year of his career in a pandemic-shortened season, Alonso played in 95% of the 2020 races.

Alonso spent time on the IL in 2021, where he rested a sprained right wrist for ten days. He hit 27 home runs in 152 games that season.

Alonso only missed two games last season. He played in 160 games and hit 40 home runs.

Alonso was batting .231/.326/.546 this season before his injury. He hit 22 home runs and drove in 49 RBIs. He's on pace to set a career record for long balls while targeting 60 home runs.

That's impressive," Showalter added."But what do we do? We have people who can take it. "

Mark Canha and Mark Vientos will be stationed at first base until Alonso returns. The Mets also drafted utility infielder Luis Guillorme from Triple-A Syracuse to fill a roster spot.

Cania is a veteran right-handed hitter who spent most of his career with the Oakland Athletics. Kajal is currently batting .246 with five homers and 21 RBIs. His career goals are .248/.347/.424.

Vientos is a right-handed first baseman who has played in only 15 games this season. He hit .167 with one home run and five RBIs. His sample size isn't huge, but his career slash line is .167/.233/.256.

Bet on the Mets with Alonso injured

Before the start of spring training, the Mets were the draftKings favorite, with odds of +750 to win the 2023 World Series. At the end of February, the Houston Astros were widely considered the favorite to win back-to-back championships at +600 odds. The Mets and New York Yankees are the second favorites at +750 odds.

The Mets ended spring training with bad news. Pitcher Justin Verlander missed the start of the season with a muscle strain. In mid-April, top player Max Scherzer was suspended for ten games for taking illegal drugs.

In early May, Mets futures odds dropped slightly to +1,000. After a slow start, the Mets' World Series odds dropped to +1,700 by the end of May.

Alonso's injury directly affects future prospects, and the Mets' chances of winning the World Series are currently +2500. The Mets now have a +1500 chance of winning the National League pennant as they are the sixth-ranked team in the standings.

The Atlanta Braves are -650 favorites to win the NFC East. They are ahead of the Miami Marlins (+1200), Philadelphia Phillies (+1200), Mets (+1400) and Washington Nationals (+50000). The Mets are currently fourth in the division, 9.5 games behind the first-place Braves. Despite a 31-35 record, the Mets were just three games behind in a tight NL wild-card race.

The Mets are currently the favorite to miss the playoffs. DraftKings has +125 odds on the Mets making the playoffs. The Mets' odds of missing the playoffs are -145.