Opening Day for the 2025 MLB regular season is almost here, meaning it won’t be long before the Philadelphia Phillies are back in another tight division race. The NL East was extremely tight in 2024, as the division-winning Phillies only finished six games ahead of the rival New York Mets and Atlanta Braves, leaving time to tell if the 2025 competition will be just as close.

While all signs point to the NL East being just as competitive again, one Phillies rival’s outlook just took a major hit following Sunday’s injury news:

Phillies News: Mets C Francisco Alvarez to Miss 6-8 Weeks With Fracture Wrist

On Sunday morning, MLB insider Jeff Passan reported that Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez has fractured his wrist. New York manager Carlos Mendoza confirmed that his star backstop requires surgery and “will be out for six to eight weeks,” sidelining Alvarez for Opening Day.

It’s unclear when Alvarez suffered his injury. The 23-year-old Venezuelan catcher suited up against the Washington Nationals on Friday, meaning the fracture could’ve taken place during the game or sometime after the fact. Either way, it looks like he’ll be sidelined until late April/early May at best.

Having said that, Alvarez’s situation isn’t exactly a new experience. The Mets catcher has missed a plethora of games due to hand and thumb-related injuries since the start of the 2023 campaign, including when he only suited up in 100 games last year.

Nevertheless, being without Alvarez for any amount of time is bad news for the Phillies’ rival. The backstopping stud had solidified himself as one of the MLB’s top up-and-coming catchers in the last two years, having racked up 36 home runs, 110 RBIs, 64 walks, and a .716 OPS in 223 games during that stretch.

At the end of the day, the Mets’ loss could be the Phillies’ gain. The NL East rivals are set to play three games at Citi Field from Apr. 21 to 23, and Philadelphia’s chances of winning that series will improve if New York No. 2 catcher Luis Torrens is behind home plate.

It remains to be seen how Alvarez’s absence will impact the 2025 division race. For now, FanDuel Sportsbook is currently favoring the Braves (+135) to win the NL East, while the Phillies (+180) and Mets (+210) aren’t much further behind in second and third, respectively, as spring training continues.