ATLANTA — Pete Alonso’s left wrist and forearm are sore, but he appears to have avoided what would be a crushing blow to the Mets lineup.
After he was drilled by a Charlie Morton 97-mph fastball Wednesday night, Alonso departed in the first inning of the Mets’ 7-5 loss to the Braves at Truist Park.
He was diagnosed with a left wrist contusion (X-rays were negative) and is considered day-to-day by the Mets. Alonso is expected to receive further imaging Thursday.
“That’s super promising that the X-rays are negative and we’re going to get a little bone scan [Thursday] just to double check, but it’s super encouraging,” Alonso said. “But then also at the same time we want to see how the swelling plays. Hopefully it goes down, and sooner rather than later, and you get right back on the horse.”
Alonso was booed as he came to the plate, a day after he had been caught on a microphone taunting Braves pitcher Bryce Elder.
On Tuesday night, after he hit his MLB-leading 22nd homer on a slider, Alonso yelled toward Elder, “Throw it again, please!” The clip went viral and Alonso was vilified by many.
Fans cheered on Wednesday as Alonso was plunked by Morton and hit the dirt.
“I just think that was a consequence of what I said in the dugout and the hot mic,” Alonso said. “It’s just unfortunate because I think it got blown out of proportion. It’s just friendly, competitive banter. For me, I didn’t mean anything by it.
Pete Alonso reacts after striking out in the ninth inning against the Braves on Tuesday. Getty Images“Honestly, Francisco [Lindor] got a hanging slider and I got a hanging slider and I asked him nicely to throw another one … it’s just friendly competitive banter and I didn’t think anything of it, but when you have hot mics in the dugout and words can be twisted, that is part of playing in the major leagues.”
Alonso added that Morton wasn’t throwing at him in the first inning on Wednesday.
The first baseman said Morton checked on him during the game and apologized.
“Chucky is a good guy and the situation didn’t call for it anyway,” Alonso said. “There is nothing to it. I just happened to get hit with an up-and-in fastball and clearly he went up and in the first pitch and I swung and missed and he just wanted to throw that again. It just got away from him.”
