Francisco Alvarez and Jeff McNeil were absent from the Mets' lineup for the first 4 weeks of the season, but they were finally activated from the IL on Friday.

The New York Mets activated catcher Francisco Alvarez and second baseman Jeff McNeil from the injured list Friday, and both were in the lineup to make their season debut in the opener of a four-game series against the Washington Nationals.

The Mets, already atop not only the National League East but MLB as a whole, have made do for the past four weeks without two of their key players. Prior to New York’s 5-4 series-opening walk-off loss to Washington at Nationals Park on Friday,