Kevin Plawecki has broken hand as Mets find themselves in a bind at catcher

Just when you thought the Mets finally were catching a break, it turns out that Kevin Plawecki’s hand is broken, after all.

With Travis d’Arnaud already contemplating whether to undergo season-ending Tommy John surgery, Plawecki will be the second Mets catcher to land on the disabled list this week after being struck on the left hand by a pitch in Wednesday’s win in Miami, the team announced on Friday.

Plawecki and Mets manager Mickey Callaway initially had said that X-rays were negative, but the catcher underwent a follow-up MRI on Thursday’s off-day upon returning to New York, which revealed a hairline fracture.

Kevin Plawecki has suffered a broken hand.
(Lynne Sladky/AP)

The Mets placed Plawecki on the 10-day disabled list, retroactive to Thursday. The team said the injury will not require surgery. A source close to Plawecki said he’s expected to miss at least a couple of weeks.

Either way, the simultaneous injuries to both backstops put a massive damper on the team’s ML-best 10-1 start entering Friday’s home stand opener against Milwaukee.

Catching prospect Tomas Nido already had been recalled to replace d’Arnaud, and veteran minor-league signing Jose Lobaton is expected to be summoned from Triple-A Las Vegas and added to the 40-man roster to replace Plawecki.

The Mets declined to sign a free-agent catcher this offseason, such as Jonathan Lucroy, who inked a one-year deal with Oakland. Former All-Star backstop Miguel Montero was designated for assignment by the Nationals earlier this week.

The biggest name possibly available in a trade would be Marlins catcher J.T. Realmuto, who presently is on the disabled list with a back contusion. But it’s unclear if the Mets have enough top prospects available to pull off a deal with rebuilding Miami.