Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez appeared set for a quick return from the injured list on Wednesday. And then, the unthinkable happened: He was pulled from a game with another hand injury.

During his first rehab game since being placed on the injured list for tearing a ligament in his right thumb, Alvarez was hit by a pitch on his left hand. After wincing in pain for a few moments, he was removed from the game.

The Mets, who beat the Phillies Wednesday night at Citi Field to pull within four games of first place behind rookie Nolan McLean’s eight-inning gem, have not provided any updates on the severity of his injury.

Things were looking promising for Alvarez after his first at-bat against Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (Yankees). He laced a two-out double down the left field line, sho

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