Pete Alonso will make his long-awaited return to Citi Field on Monday when the Orioles visit the Mets — and the first baseman is having another standout season.
Even with the Mets playing better down the stretch of a lost season, Alonso will be the center of attention in Queens once again — as he returns one homer shy of 300 for his career.
Francisco Lindor is among his former teammates eagerly awaiting Alonso’s arrival.
“It better be electric,’’ Lindor said of his expectations of Citi Field when Alonso gets there. “I hope people go crazy for him. He deserves it.”
He returns to Queens with another 35-homer season and entered Sunday one shy of his fourth 100-RBI season in the last five years.
It’s what the Orioles expected when they signed the first baseman to a five-year, $155 million contract in the offseason, with the Mets willing to let go of the five-time All-Star.
The Mets’ plan of replacing Alonso with Jorge Polanco as part of a misguided attempt at reconstructing the roster has so far failed miserably.
They have had to deal with Alonso’s absence all season, but Monday will provide a new challenge.
“I love Pete,’’ Francisco Alvarez said. “I miss him. But now he’s on the other side and I just have to think about how to beat him and get him out.”
Alvarez added with a laugh: “I don’t know how to do that. It’s going to be pretty hard to do.”
But along with Lindor and Brett Baty, Alvarez credited Alonso for helping him during their time together.
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“I know how competitive he is as a player and we’re going to compete,’’ Alvarez said. “He loves this game and I love that part about him.”
Like Lindor, Alvarez hopes Alonso is greeted warmly throughout the series.
“I don’t know how it’s gonna be,’’ Alvarez said. “I hope it’s good for him because he loved New York and our team.”
The camaraderie will end once the games start, though.
“It will be great to see him, but then, after that, good luck,’’ Lindor said. “We’ve got to win. We’ve got to play. I 100 percent want him to do well with [Baltimore]. He was a great teammate. A great person. I wish him nothing but the best, good luck and have fun. Then we’ve got to play.”
Alonso addressed his return earlier this month.
“Honestly, for me, nothing is spiteful,” he said. “During the free agent process, the Orioles were the front-runners the entire time. For me to be in a place where they see me here not for the short term, but a long-term period of time [and] not just a valuable piece from a production standpoint, but a cornerstone of the franchise, I want to make good on their belief in me. I do that by playing well and helping win ball games. It’s as simple as that.”
