NEW YORK -- For the first time since coming off the injured list on April 25, catcher Francisco Alvarez is not in the Mets' lineup in consecutive games.

Alvarez's struggles this season have been highlighted in his last eight games. He's 2-for-25 (.080) in that span with a double, four walks and nine strikeouts.

Meanwhile, his backup, Luis Torrens, has been a steady presence anytime he's in the lineup, but especially in his last six games. Torrens is 6-for-15 (.400) in that span with three extra-base hits -- the same number of extra-base hits Alvarez has all season.

Is this a demotion for Alvarez?

"Not necessarily," Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said Sunday. "Since (Alvarez) got back, I've been saying it, the balance, right? We've been talking about the balance, and that they both were going to play. I thought that today was a good opportunity for Luis to go back-to-back. Hopefully, he goes out there and has a good game, but there's really good chance that (Alvarez) plays tomorrow regardless of what happens today."

Torrens also started in Saturday's 5-2 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers. That decision was easier for Mendoza to explain since Friday's 13-inning slog went more than four hours, not including a 98-minute rain delay.

Mendoza calls the difficulty of having to manage two good catchers "a good problem." He also claims that after speaking with Alvarez about his decision on Saturday night, the young catcher was more than happy to yield to his backup.

"I talked to him last night and I told him," Mendoza said. "He was (like), 'Whatever the team needs, I'll be ready to go. I'm going to be out there working hard and whenever you need me, I'll be ready.'

Since breaking out in 2023, leading all big league catchers with 25 home runs (minimum 400 plate appearances), Alvarez has struggled getting his footing. In 120 games beginning in 2024, he's batting .236/.310/.385 with a 99 OPS+, which is just below league average (100 OPS+).

Meanwhile, Torrens has enhanced the team's defensive presence behind the plate and is steady with the bat. In 77 games since joining the Mets via trade from the Yankees last May, he's outhit Alvarez across the board, batting .244/.314/.398 with a 103 OPS+.