Mets Scrambling with More Bullpen Moves After Strong Start to Season

Mets Scrambling with More Bullpen Moves After Strong Start to Season

The Mets’ bullpen had been surprisingly stable for the first month of the season, sticking with the same eight relief pitchers and enjoying an uninterrupted stretch of consistency.

That period of calm has now come to a halt, and the bullpen carousel is spinning out of control.

For the entire month from Opening Day on March 27 through April 27, when A.J. Minter was placed on the injured list, the Mets had kept the same group of eight relievers in place—save for a brief one-day stint for Max Kranick and a one-game appearance from Justin Hagenman, who served as a bulk pitcher after an opener.

“I was kind of like, ‘What?’” said manager Carlos Mendoza, reflecting on the bullpen’s steady performance. “I don’t know that I’ve seen this before.”

While Mendoza knew the bullpen would eventually need reinforcements, he hadn’t anticipated a rash of injuries all at once. Minter could be sidelined for the season with a lat strain that may require surgery, leading to his placement on the 60-day injured list. Meanwhile, lefty reliever Danny Young was also placed on the IL with an elbow sprain, and Tommy John surgery could be in his future.

With a demanding stretch of 26 games in 27 days, the Mets have been scrambling. They called up Jose Ureña on Sunday, only to designate him for assignment by Tuesday. This week alone, they’ve already promoted and optioned Kevin Herget, Chris Devenski, and Brandon Waddell. The latter two were sent down ahead of Thursday’s 4-2 loss to the Diamondbacks at Citi Field, as the Mets brought up and immediately used lefty Génesis Cabrera and righty Ty Adcock.

Cabrera, a six-year veteran, has a chance to stay in the mix as the team’s lone lefty reliever. According to Triple-A Syracuse manager Dick Scott, Cabrera has “five weapons” to retire hitters, though his results have been inconsistent, with a 7.88 ERA in seven games. Still, he’s shown promise by striking out 12 batters in eight innings. In Thursday’s game, he faced three batters, allowing two to reach base and being charged with a run that scored after he was pulled. Adcock entered with two outs in the ninth, giving up a single, a walk, and a catcher’s interference call that loaded the bases before getting a pop-out to end the inning.

Looking ahead, the Mets hope that lefty Brooks Raley, who was recently signed and is recovering from injury, will eventually become an option. In the short term, Mendoza believes righty Dedniel Núñez will be recalled soon for his season debut. Núñez, who made a strong impression last year before an injury cut his season short, has been working his way back in spring training and at Syracuse. The Mets are eager to avoid using him in the revolving door of relievers they’ve been calling up and sending down recently.