Francisco Alvarez Took a Bat to the Face but Stayed in the Game

What Happened to Francisco Alvarez?

Imagine you’re playing a game of baseball, and someone accidentally swings a bat and hits your helmet. That’s kind of what happened to Francisco Alvarez!

• Francisco Alvarez is a catcher for the New York Mets (a baseball team).
• On Thursday night, he got a nasty bump on the head.
• The person who bumped him was Justin Crawford, an outfielder for the Phillies (another baseball team).
• It wasn’t on purpose! Crawford was just finishing his swing, and his bat hit Alvarez right on the front of his catcher’s mask.

Important: Alvarez stayed in the game after getting hit, but that does NOT mean he felt perfectly fine. He got checked by a trainer and his manager first.

How the Play Unfolded

Here is what happened step by step:

1. Crawford swung the bat and his follow-through hit Alvarez in the mask.
2. Alvarez stayed down on the ground for a moment because it was a hard hit.
3. While Alvarez was down, the pitcher (another Mets player named Christian Scott) ran over and caught the flying ball (a pop-up) really well.
4. A trainer and the manager came to check on Alvarez.
5. After the check-up, Alvarez decided to stay and keep playing.

A Better Start to the Night

Before the scary bump, Alvarez was actually having a great game!

• Before this game, Alvarez had faced a pitcher named Aaron Nola 8 times in his career and got 3 hits, including 1 home run.
• In his very first turn batting against Nola in this game, Alvarez hit another home run!
• So his night looked like this: first a home run, then a bat to the face.

Callout: Alvarez probably wasn’t feeling 100% after the hit, and the team will likely keep an eye on him to make sure he’s okay.

Summary

Francisco Alvarez, the Mets catcher, got accidentally hit in the mask by Justin Crawford’s bat during a game on Thursday night. He was checked by the trainer and manager but chose to stay in the game. Earlier in the same game, he hit a home run off pitcher Aaron Nola. He may not have wanted the head bump, but he’ll definitely be happy about the home run!

FAQ

1. Who is Francisco Alvarez?
He is the catcher for the New York Mets baseball team.

2. Was the bat hit on purpose?
No, it was an accident. Crawford was just finishing his swing and the bat hit Alvarez’s mask.

3. Did Alvarez leave the game after the hit?
No, he was checked by a trainer and his manager and then stayed in the game.

4. How did Alvarez do at the start of the game?
He hit a home run in his first turn batting against Phillies pitcher Aaron Nola.