Pete Alonso didn’t simply dodge a bullet, as he mentioned earlier than Thursday’s 3-2 win over Arizona relating to his injured proper hand, he delivered a bullet, as nicely.
After beginning the sport on the bench, nursing the consequences of the 93 mph fastball that drilled him within the hand in Wednesday’s loss to the Dodgers, Alonso pinch hit for Brett Baty with one out within the backside of the seventh, with the Mets trailing by a run, and ripped a double to left.
He ended up scoring the tying run on Francisco Lindor’s RBI single, because the Mets got here away with a much-needed win after Alonso obtained excellent news on his hand.
Earlier than the sport, Alonso underwent a CT scan, which discovered only a bone bruise.
The primary baseman went by means of hitting and fielding drills earlier than the sport and was instructed by the coaching workers that so long as he may tolerate the ache, he may play.
Following the sport, Alonso mentioned his hand didn’t damage.
“It felt fairly regular within the cage,’’ Alonso mentioned. “I felt as regular as I [could] after what occurred.”
He acknowledged worrying when he was first hit, saying, “I didn’t actually know what to suppose.”
Carlos Mendoza mentioned Alonso stopped by his workplace twice earlier than the sport after hitting within the cage to inform the supervisor he was out there.
Alonso was much more happy he was capable of contribute in snapping a four-game shedding streak.
“I used to be actually proud of how every little thing responded,’’ Alonso mentioned. “I really feel very lucky and fortunate. I used to be completely happy to have the ability to influence the sport in a optimistic method.”
Alonso mentioned he nonetheless wanted therapy after the win, however he supposed to be within the lineup once more Friday.
He has a protracted historical past with accidents to and round his fingers.
A damaged bone in his hand from a drilling compelled him out for six weeks as a minor leaguer in 2017.
He was hit by a pitch in 2021 that led to an injured checklist journey for what was termed a proper hand sprain.
Final season he was compelled to the bench with a bone bruise and sprain after a Charlie Morton fastball discovered his left wrist.
“Each time it occurs, it’s actually completely different as a result of there’s a bunch of small bones, tissue, ligaments and nerves and stuff,” Alonso mentioned. “Because it occurs, all of it hurts, and you actually don’t know till what the imaging tells you. And for me, I really feel very lucky. I really feel very fortunate. It may have been quite a bit worse.”
With out Alonso within the beginning lineup, Mark Vientos moved throughout the diamond and received the beginning at first base whereas Baty performed third.
The Mets’ solely backup infielder was DJ Stewart, a pure outfielder who has gotten reps at first.
As soon as Alonso entered, Vientos went to 3rd and Alonso remained at first.
