"See you in a little while" - Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez shares heartfelt message for fans who reached out as young star set for thumb surgery

In a devastating turn of events, the New York Mets will be without catcher Francisco Alvarez for several weeks.

The budding young star suffered a torn ligament in his thumb, which will require surgery to repair. The slugger was placed on the 10-day IL on Saturday, with his timeline for recovery reportedly in the 6-8 week range.

It's a major blow to the New York Mets, who were turning their season around after a disastrous start to the year. It was set to be the second full season of Francisco Alvarez's MLB career, which appeared destined to take another step forward.

After the news about Alvarez's injury, the young catcher took to social media to thank everyone who wished him well, as well as a speedy recovery.

"See you in a little while," he said on his personal Instagram page. "Thank you to all the people who have taken a little of their time to write me and give me encouragement," he continued.

"Francisco Alvarez on Instagram: "See you in a little while. Thank you to all the people who have taken a little of their time to write me and give me encouragement. I know they do it from the heart. I will soon give again 100%, and a little more. We continue forward with God. LFGM." (via IG/franciscoalvarez.13)" - @SNY_Mets

The 22-year-old will need to wait until some point in the summer to return to the New York Mets lineup.

Last season, Alvarez showcased the power in his bat, crushing a whopping 25 home runs for New York. His absence will be felt throughout the Mets lineup. This season, Alvarez has posted a .236 batting average with eight RBIs and a home run.

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Francisco Alvarez joins a growing list of players who are sidelined for the Mets

The injury, and subsequent surgery, are just the latest blows to the New York Mets, who are without several stars. Francisco Alvarez joins the likes of J.D. Martinez, Kodai Senga, Tylor Megill, Ronny Mauricio and Brooks Raley on the injured list.

While the Mets will be without Alvarez for the next few weeks, there is optimism that the club could soon have J.D. Martinez in the lineup as soon as Friday.

According to MLB insider Tim Healey of Newsday, there's a chance Martinez could be back in the lineup Friday. If that's the case, it would be massive for the ailing ball club.