3:20pm: Núñez tells Anthony DiComo of MLB.com that Tommy John surgery is a possibility for him. Presumably, he will undergo some more tests before a final determination is made.
2:05pm: The Mets announced a series of roster moves today. Right-hander Paul Blackburn has been placed on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to June 30th, with a right shoulder impingement. Righty Dedniel Núñez has also been placed on the 15-day IL, in his case due to a right elbow sprain. Righty Blade Tidwell was also optioned to Triple-A Syracuse. To take those three roster spots, they recalled righties Austin Warren and Justin Hagenman and selected Rico Garcia. The Garcia move was reported last night and there was an open 40-man spot for him.
It’s unclear when Blackburn’s injury popped up or how serious it is. He started for the Mets on Saturday and only went one inning, though that didn’t appear to be an injury situation. He recorded three outs before a rain delay of an hour and a half commenced. He returned to the mound after that delay but allowed five straight hits before being pulled.
Updates will surely be forthcoming but it’s a notable situation regardless. Just a few weeks ago, the Mets had so much starting pitching that Blackburn himself was the subject of trade rumors and it seemed like Frankie Montas might end up in a long relief role. But at the very moment those Blackburn rumors were trickling out to the public, Kodai Senga collapsed on the field with an obvious injury. He went on the IL with a strained hamstring. A few days later, Tylor Megill hit the IL with a sprained elbow. Then Griffin Canning ruptured his Achilles. Now Blackburn follows that group to the IL.
It highlights how quickly a pitching surplus can evaporate and puts the Mets in a tough spot. Their previously overloaded rotation is now down to Montas, Clay Holmes and David Peterson. The club played a doubleheader yesterday, with Holmes starting one game and Tidwell serving as a bulk reliever in the second.
In the immediate short term, Peterson is starting tonight. Hagenman and Garcia can pitch multiple innings per outing. Brandon Waddell is also an option for that, though he covered three frames yesterday behind Holmes. In coming days or weeks, Sean Manaea could come off the IL and rejoin the rotation, as he has been on a rehab assignment lately. Despite being on the IL for an oblique strain, he recently required a cortisone shot for a loose body in his elbow. The Mets have downplayed that, however, and he tossed three innings in a Double-A start yesterday.
The Mets have an off-day on Monday and then the All-Star break is just over the horizon, which could give them a chance to reset. They have other guys they could call upon, with Jonathan Pintaro on the 40-man roster. Prospect Brandon Sproat and Nolan McLean are in Triple-A but neither is one the 40-man and Sproat has a 5.43 earned run average on the year.
Add it all up and it seems highly likely that the Mets will be looking to add starting pitching at the deadline later this month, which is quite a turnaround from a few weeks ago, when they almost sold some off.
Núñez is a reliever but his injury is just an additional challenge for the taxed pitching staff. It’s unclear how serious his injury is but anything involving a pitcher’s elbow is always a concern. Between last year and this year, he has given the Mets 44 2/3 relief innings with a 2.82 ERA.
Photo courtesy of Jason Parkhurst, Imagn Images
Oh well.
Was hoping that Nunez rounds to form and Tidwell to show mid to backend starter potential. Neither has happened.
Was hoping for Blackburn to show enough to be tradeable.
Tidwell was pretty good yesterday until the end. It’s tangible improvement over the previous performances.
Tradeable for what? Maybe gift card for popcorn and hotdog at citifield? Even that is too much. He sucks has been hurt since we got him last trade deadline. Enough of the experiment it didn’t work. Bye bye.
For the love of god will David Sterns PLEASE let our best arms pitch?? I get not rushing Tong, but Mclean needs to pitch Friday and Sproat needs to go on Sunday, Stop screwing around,
Aren’t you at all concerned that they may be in over the heads and get smacked around?
They might, but so might Tidwell or anyone else who starts against a major league lineup. You have a better chance of winning with guys who have better stuff. McLean has earned the starts over Tidwell, but the 40 man roster is what’s been said as the issue.
I’m going to venture to guess David Stearns is more attuned with who’s ready to be called up and who isn’t.
You don’t think the 40 man roster and their options are playing into it?
@ Kermit… this is a frantic, emotional set of posts that miss the mark on many levels. First, Tidwell has been optioned down. Second, he just pitched yesterday, so he would not have pitched Friday, anyway. Third, McLean is pitching tonight. So he is no longer available. Fourth, it is Sproat’s turn on Friday, so they may yet call him up for that. So you’re jumping the gun. That said, fifth, if he is not ready, you don’t know what effect gettnig knocked around and chased after throwing 60 pitches in two innings might have on him. Sixth, Garcia, Warren, and Hagenman can each go multiple innings. So the Mets might be planning to use all three of them in a bullpen day.
Also: You might be misunderstanding the cause and effect with Tidwell. Its not that Tidwell is pitching because he is on the 40-man roster. Its that he is on the 40-man roster because he is more expendable than those other arms. None of them are ready. But he might be the one of those three that the Mets are most willing to risk. In addition, he would have been eligible for Rule 5 this November, anyway. So adding him now only burns one option early (now). The option they will likely use next spring would have been used anyway. McLean and Sproat are not eligible until after 2026. Adding either of them now means burning two options now and next spring. There’s no certainty that they will be ready enough to stick in the majors in ’27 when they’d be on their third and last option. Keeping them down until they are actually ready means that they could each have each have three options remaining in spring of ’27, rather than just one.
“frantic, emotional set of posts”, really? Big Titty was sent down to clear roster space before his next start. That’s the only reason. I made the post before Mclean’s start because Friday is tomorrow and an extra day isn’t a bad thing for a guy who’s thrown a lot of innings.
Sterns has a history of bringing young guys like this up late in the season to work out of the pen. If he chooses to do what he’s always done, they’re already destined for the roster.
I don’t look at them as one start creatures. We don’t exactly have the 69 Mets rotation. If they pitch well, they should stay.
“For the love of God”..Exactly. David Stearns has zero idea who his best pitchers are. Everyone knows that only you have that vital information. I imagine the Mets are looking for your phone number, even as we speak.
I believe at this time a few years ago, David Stearns was running a goat and chicken farm, not garnering all those division titles and playoff spots with the Brewers, like many people seem to think.
Are you aware that factors beyond “who’s the best pitcher” are involved in calling someone up?
Bruh, you lost all credibility on this one. Their time will come. Sproat isn’t really ready for AAA right now.
Ridiculous. Classic emotional response.
Do you mean Stearns?
Time to reacquire Seth Lugo and Jose Quintana. Both essentially rentals since Lugo will opt out unless he gets hurt.
No thanks on Quintana. Lugo is interesting.
I’m a Mets fan and feel they need 1 or 2 pieces to be a legitimate World Series contender. They should try to pry Duran from Boston. They may have to take on Story’s contract (Story is actually having a good season (1.7 WAR) and they can move him to 3rd base). Would Vientos, Baty, and all of Story’s contract get the deal done?
I think that would get it done if Boston is not sending any $$ to the Mets
But if I were the Mets, why would I give up Vientos for Duran while taking on Story’s contract?
I would ask for Duran and taking on the contract for Yoshida Masataka for Baty and a couple of prospects
We’d pay double Story’s salary due to the luxury tax. Is Duran much better than Baty with the stick?
That’s a huge overpay, no?
@ BaseballFan22 With taxes, Story would cost the Mets over $130 million for 2.5 years of service. He’d be in his age 32, 33, and 34 seasons, and moving to a bigger ballpark. How many of his 12 HRs will become warning track outs in CitiField? He’s been hot this past month, but he was worse than terrible in May. Thats just too steep a cost to pay for too much uncertainty.
Stearns has acquired exactly ZERO bad contracts. None. Story is a terrible baseball player. Duran had ONE exceptional season. Holy bat overreaction BatMan.
Addition by subtraction.
And the beat goes ooooooon….
Kyle Gibson is out there. Innings eater. NOt a flashy move.
When you get to Citi Field as a fan they should give you a raffle ticket to see if you win a chance to pitch the 7th inning.
If the Mets don’t add pitching , the sooner the better, I am sorry but this season may be lost.
Surprising about Nunez. He actually looked good the other day. I’m hoping this is a minor injury that they’re being extra cautious with but elbow sprain sounds pretty serious.
Mauricio plus Vientos plus Tidwell plus 2 not top 10 prospects for Jose Soriano plus Rengifo.