New York Mets slugger Pete Alonso is back in the lineup after sustaining a bone bruise and a sprained left wrist – injuries that were to sideline him for three to four weeks.
He spent at least 10 days on the disabled list before being called up Sunday to play first base against the St. Louis Cardinals at Citi Field.
The Mets placed him in the cleanup zone, making room by opting for infielder Mark Vientos at Triple-A Syracuse.
Alonso was injured on June 7 in a game against the Atlanta Braves when he was hit by a 97 mph fastball from Charlie Morton. He returned to the dugout a few innings later with his wrist wrapped.
It seems the quick comeback was an unlikely fluke for the Mets. According to Alonso, his body responded well to the team’s treatment of his injury.
Dealing with the bone bruise came down to pain management, and Alonso told reporters on Sunday he was able to swing without extreme discomfort for a few days.
He closed questions about possible limitations on Sunday.
“No, I’m playing. Deep. Yeah, full blast,” he said.
Prior to his injury, Alonso was batting .231 / .326 / .546 with a National League-leading 49 RBIs and MLB-leading 22 homers.
On Saturday, Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels hit his 23rd home run, edging out Alonso for the major league lead.
While one might joke that losing the season’s accolade was a motivation for Alonso, Mets manager Buck Showalter said it was in the nature of his players.
“I think it’s a culture – these guys take great pride in displaying and being there for their teammates,” he said.
The Mets haven’t won a series since finishing a three-game sweep over the Philadelphia Phillies on June 1, going 3-5 in Alonso’s eight games missed.
This story will be updated.