WASHINGTON (AP) — Francisco Alvarez needs surgery for a sprained ulnar collateral ligament in his right thumb, but there's a chance the New York Mets' slugging catcher can play through the pain and help the team in the final weeks of the regular season, manager Carlos Mendoza said Tuesday.

Alvarez was placed on the 10-day injured list retroactive to Monday, when he had an MRI in New York that revealed the sprain.

“If he goes and has surgery right now, he's going to be done for the season,” Mendoza said. “So he wants to give it a try. We're hopeful that he can play through this. But we've just got to wait and see.”

The big-spending Mets would love to have Alvarez's powerful bat in the lineup as they try to recover from a slump that began in late July. New York entered Tuesday 5 1/2 games

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