New York Mets fans feel energized by Pete Alonso's early comeback from IL

When New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso took a pitch off of his wrist in a game against the Atlanta Braves on June 7, fans immediately feared for the worst.

Despite having the biggest payroll in the MLB, the Mets have underwhelmed by nearly every metric. At the time of Alonso's injury, the $359 million roster was 1-6 in the month of June and dealing with the possibility of missing the playoffs by a very wide margin.

Despite his mediocre .231 average, Pete Alonso was one of the Mets' strongest hitters at the time of his injury. The 28-year old had 49 RBIs and 22 home runs, a number that still places him atop the NL leaderboard in the category.

While New York Mets fans feared that they would be losing one of their shaky lineup's best hitters, Alonso made big news on June 18 when it was announced that the 2021 NL home run champ would be returning to the roster on Sunday.

Pete Alonso was expected to miss at least three weeks with a wrist sprain. A July return seemed likely

Instead he's returning today, just 11 days after being hit by a pitch https://t.co/Mi0m9lVRem

"Pete Alonso was expected to miss at least three weeks with a wrist sprain. A July return seemed likely. Instead he's returning today, just 11 days after being hit by a pitch" - Talkin' Baseball

The original prognosis was that Alonso had suffered both a wrist bruise and a strain, so his return has fans excited for their struggling team. He will now try to catch Shohei Ohtani, who has one more home run on the season than he does.

@TalkinBaseball_ He saw Ohtani go ahead of him in home runs and said I’m ready to go

@TalkinBaseball_ Ain’t letting Ohtani take the lead for too long

@TalkinBaseball_ season starts now

Time is running out for the Mets. With a record of 33-37, they are now 11.5 games behind the Atlanta Braves, who lead the NL East. While the second Wild Card spot indeed improves the team's chances, taking on their divisional foes without Alonso would be all the more difficult.

@TalkinBaseball_ MVP still in his hands

@TalkinBaseball_ Bro saw Ohtani passed him for the home run lead and he said fuck it I need to retake the lead 😭😭

@TalkinBaseball_ Just cause of the homerun derby

While fans are very clearly excited to have their star back, things were not as bad as a lot of fans expected without Alonso. Despite the fact that Alonso leads the team in home runs, the Mets have lofted 19 home runs in Pete Alonso's absence, the fourth most dingers in the MLB over the course of the past 15 days.

@TalkinBaseball_ The day after Ohtani passes him in HRs. Coincidence? 🧐

@TalkinBaseball_ Wow he is better than judge sadly

Pete Alonso's comeback time speaks to raw athleticism

Alonso's speed back from injury speaks to both his physical condition and his desire to compete. Earlier this year, we saw Bryce Harper of the Philadelphia Phillies storm back from Tommy John surgery in a record-setting six months.

Pete Alonso is one of the main center pieces of baseball's richest team, and they will need him if they want any chance of flipping the tables around before it gets too late.