Crushing Mets injury has the Reds suddenly positioned to grab NL Wild Card lead

The Cincinnati Reds took Game 1 of a three-game series against the Los Angeles Angels on Monday night and pulled to within just one game of the idle New York Mets. The Reds continue their series against the Halos on Tuesday and will send starting pitcher Hunter Greene to the bump.

As for the Mets, they're set to begin a three-game set with the Washington Nationals, but will be without one of their premiere players. According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the Mets will place starting catcher Francisco Alvarez on the 10-day IL with a right thumb injury.

This is major blow for the Mets. Though Alvarez was optioned to Triple-A earlier this season, the backstop returned with a vengeance at the end of July and has been playing at an All-Star level. Since July 21, Alvarez is hitting .323/.408/.645 with six doubles, four home runs, and 13 RBI.

Crushing Mets injury to Francisco Alvarez has the Reds suddenly positioned to grab NL Wild Card lead

Once the Mets officially place Alvarez on the injured list, they'll likely recall Hayden Senger to the active roster. The 28-year-old rookie has a meager .404 OPS on the year and will likely split catching duties with Luis Torrens. Over his last seven games, Torrens is hitting just .154 and has a .581 OPS on the season.

Obviously this will hinder the Mets' ability to score runs — though they do have the likes of Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto in the lineup on a nightly basis. But Alvarez has been a big contributor of late, and New York will no doubt miss his bat over the next few weeks.

The Reds and Mets meet up for the final time this season on September 5-7 at Great American Ball Park. If Alvarez only misses the 10-day minimum, he could be back in time for that crucial series. The question is, who'll be leading the NL Wild Card race when these two clubs meet up next month?

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