It was announced Sunday that young catcher Francisco Alvarez was heading back to Triple-A with the Syracuse Mets. But Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns told the media that for a player like Alvarez, this is not out of the ordinary.

The Mets feel like their 23-year-old catcher, who hit 25 home runs in 2023, can be better as a defender and as a hitter.

After a 452-foot home run and 2-for-5 showing in Saturday’s win — the Mets’ lone victory over the last 10 games — Alvarez is only batting .236/.319/.333 (89 OPS+) with three home runs and 11 RBIs this season in 138 plate appearances.