Mets fans, take a deep breath—Pete Alonso is okay. That’s the big takeaway after a scary moment at spring training on Thursday when the Mets’ star first baseman took a ball to the face during drills at Clover Park.
As seen in a clip shared by SNY, Alonso immediately went down and was quickly attended to by the Mets’ training staff.
For a few moments, there was real concern about the severity of the injury. After all, a baseball coming at your face is never a good thing, especially for a guy whose job is to mash home runs.
But Mets fans can exhale because Alonso walked off under his own power, heading back to the dugout and into the clubhouse.
And in a move that would make any tough-as-nails ballplayer proud, he was back out on the field shortly after. He was taking defensive reps like nothing happened.
Alonso Has Durability Speaks for Itself
This little scare comes just two weeks after Alonso secured his immediate future with the Mets by signing a two-year, $54 million deal. That deal made him the third-highest-paid player on the team. That was after some drama with the organization though.
And if history tells us anything, it’s that Alonso doesn’t miss much time. Since his MLB debut in 2019, he’s only been absent for 24 games—out of a possible 870.
That’s some serious durability. He played all 162 games last season, plus all 13 of the Mets’ postseason contests. Safe to say, this guy doesn’t take days off.
A Powerhouse at the Plate
Oh, and let’s talk about the numbers. Alonso is already a four-time All-Star. In the last six years, nobody in the National League has hit more home runs or driven in more runs than him.
The only player with more total bases in that span? Mookie Betts. That’s the kind of elite company Alonso keeps.
Looking Ahead to Spring Action
Now, assuming all goes well, he should be good to go for the Mets’ Grapefruit League opener against the Houston Astros on Saturday.
There’s no official confirmation yet. Given Alonso’s track record, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him back in action sooner rather than later.
Crisis averted Mets fans. Your slugger is still standing.
