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Blade Tidwell

Giants To Place Landen Roupp On Injured List With Knee Sprain

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The Giants are placing starter Landen Roupp on the 15-day injured list with a left knee sprain, manager Bob Melvin informed reporters (including Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area). The right-hander is flying back to San Francisco for an MRI that’ll provide a more specific diagnosis.

Roupp suffered the injury in the third inning of tonight’s start in San Diego (video via SF Giants on NBCS). Ramón Laureano hit a comeback line drive that struck Roupp in the right thigh. While the ball itself didn’t cause an injury, the pitcher slipped on the mound as he tried to avoid it, tweaking his knee in the process. Trainers called for a cart to take him off the field.

With five weeks remaining in the regular season, it seems unlikely Roupp will make it back this year. The Giants have fallen five games under .500 and firmly out of contention. They’ll hope that testing doesn’t reveal any significant ligament damage that’d impact his offseason or threaten his availability for the early portion of next season.

Roupp, 27 next month, has had a solid first full season as a big league starter. He has taken the ball 22 times and worked to a 3.80 ERA over 106 2/3 innings. He has recorded a 21.4% strikeout rate while getting ground-balls at a league average 45.3% clip. He has looked the part of a capable mid-rotation arm until battling injuries over the past couple weeks. A minor bout of elbow inflammation sent him to the IL shortly before the trade deadline. Tonight’s start was his second since that three-week absence.

Justin Verlander pitches the finale in San Diego tomorrow. The Giants would have Logan Webb, Robbie Ray and Kai-Wei Teng lined up for their weekend set in Milwaukee. An off day on Monday could allow them to skip Roupp’s turn in the rotation one time, but they might prefer to add a fifth starter to take the ball next Tuesday against the Cubs and give their rotation an extra day of rest. They’ll need another starter by the end of next week at the latest.

Unfortunately, one of their most intriguing depth arms won’t be a factor. Blade Tidwell, one of three players acquired from the Mets for Tyler Rogers, has begun his organizational tenure with 16 innings of three-run ball in Triple-A. Tidwell seemed to be on the verge of a call-up but reported shoulder discomfort yesterday (relayed by John Shea of The San Francisco Standard). He’s headed for an MRI of his own and won’t be an option for a big league call in the short term.

Mets Acquire Tyler Rogers

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The Mets have acquired right-hander Tyler Rogers from the Giants, according to announcements from both clubs. In return, the Giants receive right-hander José Buttó, pitching prospect Blade Tidwell and outfield prospect Drew Gilbert. The Giants designated right-hander Sean Hjelle for assignment in order to open a 40-man spot. Gilbert wasn’t on the Mets’ 40-man and won’t require a spot today. Both of the Rogers twins have been traded today, as the lefty Taylor was in the Ke’Bryan Hayes trade.

Tyler, the submarining righty, will be joining a new club for the first time in his career. He was drafted by the Giants back in 2013 and has spent his entire career with that franchise up until now. He doesn’t throw especially hard, averaging just 83.1 miles per hour on his fastball during his career. But he has nonetheless found success thanks to his unusual delivery, mixing in a sinker and a slider with his four-seamer.

Perhaps because he isn’t a fireballer, Rogers is remarkably durable. He has never been on the major league injured list. From his debut in August of 2019 to the present, he has appeared in 392 big league games. That’s the most in the majors in that span.

The quantity is great but the quality is also impressive. Rogers has a 2.79 earned run average in his 396 2/3 innings. His 18.2% strikeout rate is subpar but his 4.6% walk rate and 56.5% ground ball rate are both excellent figures. This year, he’s been even better than before. He has a 1.80 ERA this season, along with a 20.2% strikeout rate, 2.1% walk rate and 64.4% grounder rate. He induces heaps of weak contact, as shown by his blood-red Statcast page. His average exit velocity, barrel rate and hard hit rate are all at least in the 94th percentile of qualified pitchers. He is making a $5.25MM salary this year, his final year of arbitration. He’ll be a free agent at season’s end.

The total package is understandably appealing to the Mets. Their bullpen has been ravaged by injuries this year. Since the season started, they have lost A.J. Minter, Danny Young, Dedniel Núñez, and Max Kranick to season-ending injuries. The bullpen has been a clear priority for them at this deadline. They have already added Gregory Soto and now Rogers gives them another fresh arm. Given all those injuries, Rogers’ durability is surely an attractive feature.

The money is also notable, with Rogers owed less than $1.75MM at this point of the calendar. The Mets are a third-time payor of the competitive balance tax and are above the top threshold, meaning they face a 110% tax on any spending they add to the ledger this week. Some veteran relievers such as Raisel Iglesias or Kenley Jansen are making eight-figure salaries, so the price point on Rogers is a softer hit for the Mets.

To get the player they wanted, it feels like they have given up a lot. Tidwell, 24, was a second-round pick of the Mets in 2022. Since then, he has generally been ranked as one of the club’s top ten prospects. His results since getting up to Triple-A haven’t been astounding. He has a 5.05 ERA in 164 innings at the top minor league level. He’s been a bit better there this year, with a 4.10 ERA, 25.7% strikeout rate and 9.5% walk rate.

Baseball America currently lists Tidwell as the Mets’ #10 prospect. They give him a 50 grade on the 20-80 scale and classify him as high risk. Their report notes that he’ll need to improve his control get become a back-end starter. A month ago, FanGraphs ranked him #7 in the system but with a 45+ grade, noting that he could develop into a mid-rotation guy but with some reliever risk thanks to his control issues and high-effort delivery.

Gilbert, 24, was a first-round pick of the Astros in 2022 but came to the Mets in the August 2023 trade which sent Justin Verlander back to Houston. Gilbert’s stock has dipped a bit since that trade. He missed a decent chunk of 2024 due to a hamstring injury and slashed .205/.313/.371 when he was on the field. This year, he’s been better, with a .246/.349/.435 line and 105 wRC+ in his Triple-A action.

BA ranks him #14 in the Mets’ system, also with a 50 grade and high risk. FanGraphs puts him at #10 with a 45 grade. The latter outlet notes he mostly does damage against fastballs but struggles against spin. He can play all three outfield spots but evaluators generally think it’s a bit of a stretch to have him in center. FanGraphs describes him as a “low-variance fourth outfielder.” He is going to be eligible for the Rule 5 draft in December, meaning he’ll need a 40-man roster spot before then.

Buttó can plug directly into the San Francisco bullpen to replace Rogers. He has thrown 167 big league innings with a 3.45 ERA, 23.5% strikeout rate, 12.2% walk rate and 43.9% ground ball rate. He is out of options and some of this year’s trend lines aren’t good. His strikeout rate was 26.9% last year but has dipped to just 20.7% this season, while his walk rate has stayed high at 11.1%. Perhaps he was going to get squeezed off the Mets’ roster as part of their deadline moves regardless.

Though it might come across a lot to give up for a soft-tossing rental, the Mets may not have had Gilbert or Buttó in their long-term plans. As mentioned, Gilbert was going to need a 40-man spot in a few months’ time. If the Mets view him as a future Quad-A outfielder and not an everyday regular, perhaps they could find another use for that roster spot. Buttó is out of options and might have been trending towards being designated for assignment.

For the Giants, there’s undoubtedly a lot to like in this haul. They hovered in the playoff race for a lot of the year but have been cold lately and are now five games back of a playoff spot. It was reported earlier that they would be listening to offers on their relievers. Rogers, as mentioned, is a 34-year-old impending free agent.

The Giants have swapped him out for Buttó. That makes their bullpen worse today but Rogers was on his way out the door anyway and perhaps they can find a way to get Buttó back on track. With Tidwell, they add some immediate rotation depth, something which has been an issue this year.

They have Logan Webb and Robbie Ray as a strong one-two but question marks after. They flipped Kyle Harrison and Jordan Hicks to the Red Sox in the Rafael Devers deal. Verlander is an impending free agent. Landen Roupp is currently shelved with elbow inflammation. Hayden Birdsong had some encouraging results earlier in the year but recently struggled enough to get sent down to Triple-A. The club will likely look for more starting pitching in the offseason but Tidwell can jump into that depth mix alongside guys like Roupp, Birdsong, Trevor McDonald, Mason Black and others.

Gilbert gives them some extra outfield depth. They will go into 2026 with Heliot Ramos and Jung Hoo Lee in two spots, but Mike Yastrzemski is an impending free agent. Guys like Luis Matos, Wade Meckler, Grant McCray, Marco Luciano and Daniel Johnson are on the 40-man roster. Assuming Gilbert gets a roster spot this fall, he’ll jump into that mix.

If Tidwell becomes a mid-rotation guy or Gilbert develops into an everyday outfielder, perhaps the Mets will feel they overpaid. But there are some reasons to expect those things might not come to pass, so it seems they felt it was a risk worth taking in order to get Rogers and upgrade their bullpen for the stretch run and postseason. Relievers tend to become more important in the playoffs, when off-days allow the top guys to pitch almost every game.

This could be the first of a handful of sell-side moves the Giants make. Verlander is an impending free agent, though he has a full no-trade clause and 4.53 ERA, which could complicate talks. Yastrzemski and Wilmer Flores are impending free agents as well. Camilo Doval still has a couple of years of club control but could be on the move as well.

Hjelle, 28, is known for his height and ability to induce ground balls. Listed at 6’11”, he has 149 2/3 big league innings under his belt with a 5.11 ERA, 21.8% strikeout rate, 6.6% walk rate and 56% ground ball rate. His numbers have trended in the wrong direction this year, with a 15.1% strikeout rate and 42.3% grounder rate. That’s a small sample of 15 innings, as he’s mostly been in the minors this year. In his 40 1/3 Triple-A innings this season, he has a 2.90 ERA, 26.2% strikeout rate, 6% walk rate and 51.9% ground ball rate.

The Giants could try to find a trade partner for Hjelle in the next 24 hours. If not, he’ll have to go on waivers. He can be optioned for the rest of this year and could perhaps appeal to clubs looking for pitching depth, though he’ll be out of options next year.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic first reported that Taylor was headed to the Mets. Robert Murray of FanSided first reported that Tidwell and Gilbert would be part of the three-player return. Joel Sherman of The New York Post was first on Buttó’s inclusion.

Photos courtesy of Matt Kartozian, Kelley L Cox, Tim Vizer, Charles LeClaire and Sam Navarro, Imagn Images.

Mets Prioritizing Bullpen Help

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The Mets have several areas where they could plausibly pursue upgrades prior to next week’s trade deadline, but president of baseball operations David Stearns indicated yesterday that his primary focus is on improving the bullpen (link via ESPN’s Jorge Castillo).

Mets relievers have been a middle-of-the-pack unit overall, ranking 13th with a combined 3.87 ERA on the season. They’ve struggled to a 5.30 mark over the past month, however, due in no small part to injury. A.J. Minter’s season ended in early May when he required surgery to repair a torn lat. Fellow southpaw Danny Young had Tommy John surgery that same month. Righties Max Kranick and Dedniel Nunez both went down with season-ending arm injuries as well.

The Mets have used a staggering 30 different relief pitchers this season, including 23 over just the past 30 days. They’ve treated the final couple spots in the relief corps as a revolving door, frequently shuttling in waiver claims and minor league signees when they need a fresh arm, than designating those players for assignment in favor of the next arm that comes down the conveyor belt. It’s led to a dizzying number of Mets transactions and constant turnover among the relief corps. Many of those stopgaps have been hit hard, and mainstays Reed Garrett and especially Huascar Brazoban have struggled over the past month.

Edwin Diaz, Ryne Stanek, Garrett and Brazoban have been constants in Carlos Mendoza’s bullpen. The Mets clearly have room to add multiple arms and should likely be expected to do just that. They were in the mix to sign David Robertson before he opted to reunite with the Phillies, and they reportedly have some interest in Twins left-hander Danny Coulombe (at a time when Minnesota is said to be increasingly open to offers on rental players).

The Mets have been tied to rotation upgrades, reportedly showing interest in Pirates righty Mitch Keller and in Marlins righty Edward Cabrera. Stearns downplayed the possibility of adding to his starting staff, however, stating that he’s “comfortable” with the in-house group and its ability to navigate a postseason series. If Kodai Senga, Sean Manaea, Clay Holmes, David Peterson and Frankie Montas can all remain healthy, New York’s starting five indeed looks sharp, but health is hardly a given. Each of Senga, Manaea and Montas has had a monthslong IL stint within the past 15 months. Holmes is in his first season stretching back into a rotation role after years as a high-leverage reliever.

Similarly, while Stearns acknowledged that he expects to explore the market for center fielders, an acquisition isn’t necessarily likely. The Mets have been pleased with Jeff McNeil’s increased comfort in center and Tyrone Taylor’s defensive play. “[T]he bar to improve center field has probably risen over the past, let’s say, two weeks,” Stearns said.

Stearns naturally did not decisively rule out a center field addition, but it’s a thin market in terms of options. Cedric Mullins is likely available in Baltimore, and the O’s have multiple relievers available (e.g. Gregory Soto, Seranthony Dominguez and perhaps Andrew Kittredge). Similarly, if the Mets already have interest in Minnesota’s Coulombe, they could look into both him and old friend Harrison Bader, who’s on a one-year deal and has performed well on both sides of the ball in the Twin Cities. The White Sox have both Luis Robert Jr. and Mike Tauchman available. The former has finally begun to heat up in recent weeks, while the latter has hit well for much of the season. If the Mets wanted to take a bigger swing, they could try to pry Oneil Cruz from Pittsburgh. He (reportedly) is not completely off the table, but the asking price would surely be extreme.

The Mets are willing to deal from their collection of young infielders, which includes Brett Baty, Mark Vientos, Ronny Mauricio and Luisangel Acuña. They also have several pitching prospects on the cusp of the majors, including Brandon Sproat, Nolan McLean and Blade Tidwell. Stearns noted that any of the three could be a candidate to join the bullpen down the stretch but added the Mets will be cautious with such decisions, as once a starting pitcher is ramped down to a bullpen role during the season, it’s hard to stretch him back out.

Mets Place Paul Blackburn, Dedniel Núñez On Injured List

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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

Griffin Canning Diagnosed With Ruptured Achilles

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3:40pm: Canning underwent surgery this morning, Mendoza tells reporters (via Laura Albanese of Newsday). Tidwell is indeed available out of the bullpen tonight, but the plan moving forward will eventually be for him to step into Canning’s rotation spot.

2:32pm: The Mets announced that right-hander Griffin Canning has been placed on the 60-day injured list with a ruptured left Achilles. They also optioned right-hander Austin Warren and infielder Jared Young. To fill those three spots, infielder Mark Vientos has been reinstated from the 10-day IL, righty Blade Tidwell has been recalled and left-hander Colin Poche has been selected to the roster. The Mets added that lefty Richard Lovelady, who was designated for assignment earlier this week, has cleared waivers and elected free agency. Outfielder Jose Azocar, who recently elected free agency himself, has been re-signed to a new minor league deal.

The Canning news is devastating but not surprising. He had to be helped off the field last night, clearly unable to put weight on his left leg. It immediately appeared to be an Achilles injury and manager Carlos Mendoza admitted after the game that the club suspected as much.

The Mets haven’t yet relayed an expected timeline but it’s fair to conclude Canning’s season is over. An injury like this can often take a full year to recover from. Given that half the 2025 season is already in the books, Canning is surely going to miss the remainder and likely part of the 2026 campaign as well.

It’s a terrible break for the 29-year-old Canning, a former second-round pick and top prospect with the Angels. He’d looked on the cusp of establishing himself as a regular rotation member in Anaheim back in 2019-20 before a stress reaction in his back wiped out most of his 2021 season and all of his 2022 campaign. He returned with solid numbers in 2023 before crashing with a 5.19 ERA in 31 starts last season. The Halos traded him to the Braves for Jorge Soler in a swap of unwanted salaries following the 2024 season, and Atlanta ultimately non-tendered him.

The Mets brought a fresh start for Canning, and he looked to be taking full advantage. The right-hander has started 16 games and pitched 76 1/3 innings of 3.77 ERA ball, fanning 21.3% of his opponents with a huge 50.9% grounder rate — albeit against a less-encouraging 10.7% walk rate. Canning was terrific up through early June (2.90 ERA) but in the three starts prior to his injury had been tagged for 13 runs in 14 1/3 frames.

Even with that rough stretch, Canning looked well on his way to positioning himself for a nice multi-year deal on the open market. He could still command a two-year deal, in theory, but it’d be small in scale with a backloaded salary structure to reflect the uncertainty surrounding the first year of his contract — similar to the one former Angels rotation-mate Patrick Sandoval signed with the Red Sox.

As for the rest of the Mets’ transactions, a couple were expected. Vientos said yesterday that he was told he’d be activated today. He’ll return after a nearly monthlong absence due to a hamstring strain and hope to get back on track. The 26-year-old broke out with a .266/.322/.516 batting line (133 wRC+) and 27 home runs in just 111 games last year, seemingly cementing himself as a fixture at one of the infield corners for years to come.

That may still be the case, but Vientos hasn’t looked the part so far in 2025, slashing just .230/.298/.380. He’s actually cut his strikeout rate and improved his walk rate while continuing to hit the ball hard, however, creating good reason to be optimistic about a turnaround. The Mets have been waiting for some combination of their long-vaunted quartet of infielders — Vientos, Brett Baty, Ronny Mauricio, Luisangel Acuña — to seize spots around the infield, and that’s yet to happen. A return to form for Vientos would be a step in that direction and a boon for a Mets lineup that has struggled in recent weeks.

Tidwell was reported to be joining the Mets last night as well. The Mets’ second-round pick in 2022, he’s regarded as one of the system’s most promising young arms. His two starts earlier this year didn’t go well (eight runs in 7 1/3 innings), and the 24-year-old is coming off a tough start in Triple-A, where he served up six runs to the Yankees’ top affiliate. Prior to that ugly outing, he’d rattled off a 3.55 ERA with a 28.9% strikeout rate and 8.6% walk rate in 45 2/3 innings across eight starts. He’ll be in the bullpen for now, per SNY’s Andy Martino, which makes sense with David Peterson, Paul Blackburn and Frankie Montas lined up for weekend starts against the Pirates and an off-day on Monday.

Poche, 31, signed a minor league deal with the Mets back in May. He opened the season with the division-rival Nationals but was rocked for 11 runs in 8 2/3 innings before being cut loose. The Mets themselves contributed to that damage, tagging him for a run in two-thirds of an inning during a late-April meeting.

Ugly as that brief stint was, Poche had a nice track record in four prior seasons with the Rays, pitching to a combined 3.63 ERA with a 27% strikeout rate and 9.2% walk rate in 208 1/3 innings. Since signing with the Mets, he’s pitched 12 2/3 innings down in Syracuse, logging a 4.26 ERA with an uncharacteristic and alarming 17.9% walk rate.

If Lovelady’s tenure with the Mets is any sort of indication, it could be a brief stay on the big league roster for Poche. The 29-year-old opted out of a minor league deal with the Twins earlier this month, signed a big league deal with the Mets and was designated for assignment after just one appearance (two runs in 1 2/3 innings). Lovelady was excellent in Triple-A with Minnesota and has a nice track record at that level. He’s shown consistent ability to generate grounders, miss bats and limit walks at passable levels, but he’s struggled with men on base in the majors and limped to a 5.35 ERA in 102 2/3 innings across parts of six seasons.

Azocar, also 29, appeared in a dozen games with the Mets earlier this year and hit .278/.350/.278 in 20 plate appearances. He’s a righty-swinging, glove-first outfielder with good speed who can handle left, center and right on any given day. The former Padre is a career .244/.290/.319 hitter in 418 major league plate appearances.

Latest On Mets’ Rotation Plans

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The Mets’ season-worst losing streak stretched to six games with tonight’s 7-1 defeat in Atlanta. Clay Holmes was unable to escape the fifth inning, and the Mets turned to righty Justin Hagenman to work the final 2 2/3 frames in mop-up fashion. Hagenman had been the likeliest choice to start tomorrow’s series opener against the Phillies, necessitating a change of plans.

As first reported by Anthony DiComo of MLB.com, New York will now turn to Blade Tidwell opposite Zack Wheeler. They’ll need to recall the 6’4″ righty tomorrow afternoon. It’ll be the second MLB appearance of his career. The Mets called up the former second-round pick for a spot start against the Cardinals on May 4. He gave up six runs in 3 2/3 innings to take the loss and was optioned back to Triple-A Syracuse the next day. Tidwell, one of the better pitching prospects in the organization, has worked 62 1/3 innings over 13 Triple-A appearances this season. He carries a 4.76 ERA but has punched out nearly 28% of opponents against a 9.5% walk rate.

This is likely to again be a one-off appearance. Frankie Montas has been on a minor league rehab assignment since May 24. Pitchers can spend up to 30 days on a rehab stint before they need to be activated (unless they suffer an injury setback). Montas’ rehab window closes on Monday, at which point the Mets need to put him on the MLB roster.

Manager Carlos Mendoza confirmed before Thursday’s game that Montas will be in the rotation (link via Tim Britton of The Athletic). That wouldn’t have seemed in doubt at the beginning of the rehab stint. The Mets signed Montas to a two-year, $34MM free agent deal. He would’ve opened the season in the middle of the rotation had he not suffered a significant lat strain early in Spring Training. The results on his rehab stint have been dreadful, however.

Montas has allowed more than 12 earned runs per nine innings over six rehab starts: two in High-A, four in Triple-A. Teams generally don’t place much stock in a player’s stats while he’s rehabbing. The primary focus is on getting healthy. Yet Montas’ struggles have been so significant that the Mets must be at least a little concerned. He has allowed more than a run per inning in three of his four Triple-A outings. Opponents have combined for a staggering eight home runs in 14 1/3 innings. He gave up five runs on seven hits (including one homer) while striking out only two of 23 batters faced against Miami’s top farm team on Wednesday.

The results certainly don’t suggest he’s ready to face MLB hitters, but the Mets are out of time on the rehab stint. There was some thought that they could activate Montas as a reliever, at least allowing Mendoza to deploy him in low-leverage situations as he tries to iron out his mechanics. That might have been the plan had they not lost Kodai Senga and Tylor Megill to the injured list within the past week. “Look, we need starters here,” Mendoza acknowledged to reporters. “We signed him to be a starter for this team, and we’re going to give him a chance.” That likely positions Montas to make his team debut early next week when the Mets welcome the Braves to Citi Field.

It was just eight days ago that the Mets were reportedly receiving interest in Paul Blackburn because it was unclear if they’d have room for him as a starting pitcher. New York had pushed their lead in the NL East to a season-best 5.5 games that same afternoon. Now, they’re tied with the Phillies as they head into this weekend’s series at Citizens Bank Park. Blackburn looks like a short-term rotation fixture behind Holmes, David Peterson and Griffin Canning. Montas will slot into the fifth spot after getting bombed by minor league lineups.

While things have gone downhill quickly, there’s more cause for optimism in the medium term. Sean Manaea, who has been out all season due to a Spring Training oblique strain, has been on a rehab assignment since June 6. His numbers are also poor, but that’s not as concerning when a pitcher is shaking off the rust very early in a rehab stint. He’s around two weeks away from an MLB return. Senga has a low-grade hamstring strain. He could resume throwing by the end of the month and return in mid-July if all goes well. The news on Megill is less encouraging, as he’ll miss at least 4-5 weeks with an elbow sprain.

The front office will have a little more than five weeks to see how their injured pitchers progress and gauge what they can get out of Montas before deciding on trade deadline priorities. Jon Heyman of The New York Post wrote this evening that they’re likely to be involved in the rotation market once July 31 approaches. That’s true of almost all contending teams, of course. The next month will go a long way to determining their sense of urgency to add a starting pitcher.

Mets Among Teams To Show Recent Interest In Luis Robert Jr.

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10:15am: Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports that there is “nothing hot” between the Mets and White Sox regarding Robert as things stand, though he goes to acknowledge that the Mets have “checked in” on him previously and that center field could be an area the club has interest in upgrading.

9:15am: White Sox center fielder Luis Robert Jr. has long appeared to be the club’s most obvious trade chip for the 2025 season, and a report from USA Today’s Bob Nightengale last weekend suggested that Chicago may be motivated to move Robert before the end of May if he were to continue playing well throughout the month. Robert has gone just 4-for-19 at the plate with one walk and five strikeouts since that piece was published, but today Nightengale reports that teams have begun to show interest in Robert with the Mets among the clubs to have checked in.

The 27-year-old could certainly make plenty of sense in Queens. Robert’s offense has left much to be desired over the past two years, as he’s slashed just .215/.282/366 with a lackluster 82 wRC+ across 137 games since the start of the 2024 season. That’s essentially a full season’s worth of games where Robert has struck out at a 32.6% clip and hit just 19 homers, though he has walked at a solid 8.3% clip and stolen 38 bases in that time while serving as a capable defensive option in center field.

While Robert’s recent production isn’t exactly exciting, it’s impossible to deny his talent. Staying healthy has always been a question for Robert, but he offered star-level production when on the field from 2021 to 2023 with a .287/.331/.511 (129 wRC+) slash line and 10.6 fWAR in just 311 games. That’s a four- to five-win player over a full season, and while his recent downturn in production makes expected a five-win campaign like his 2023 season somewhat unrealistic, it’s worth noting that Robert’s been hurt badly this year by a .244 BABIP that falls well below the career norm for a player who’s never posted a figure below .300 before in a season. A look at Robert’s solid .326 xwOBA would suggest that his underlying performance this year is more or less in line with the production he put forward in 2022, when he slashed .284/.319/.426 with a wRC+ of 111 in 98 games.

That sort of production would be extremely valuable for a Mets club that already lost its starting center fielder in Jose Siri for the first half of the season due to a fractured tibia. That’s left Tyrone Taylor to handle center field duties in Queens, and while he’s been serviceable with a .249/.295/317 (90 wRC+) slash line, he’s not exactly been an impact player for the Mets and lacks the superstar upside Robert offers. Center field is one of very few holes in New York’s lineup; the club is only ranked below average by both fWAR and wRC+ at three positions so far this year: second base, left field, and center field. Brandon Nimmo is entrenched in left and has wound up above-average at the plate in each of the last eight seasons, while second base is covered by a combination of Luisangel Acuna, Brett Baty, and Jeff McNeil. None of those names have firmly grabbed hold of the everyday job at the keystone to this point, but that depth of options makes an external addition seem unlikely.

That leaves center as the obvious place for an upgrade, and the pickings at the position figure to be slim this summer outside of Robert. Perhaps Cedric Mullins could be available if the Orioles can’t dig themselves out of their current hole in the standings. The Twins could deal either Willi Castro or former Met Harrison Bader if the club’s current seven-game winning streak proves to be simply a flash in the pan. Robert stands out from that pack, however, as an option controlled beyond the 2025 season (via a pair of $20MM club options for 2026 and ’27) and by offering higher upside than any of them.

Of course, any deal would be contingent on the sides being able to agree on an asking price. Nightengale writes that the White Sox are “eyeing” right-hander Blade Tidwell as part of the of a possible return package, though it’s unclear if the Mets would have any interesting in parting ways with the 23-year-old. Tidwell made his big league debut last week, and while it didn’t go well (six earned runs in 3 2/3 innings), he remains a valuable part of the starting pitching depth chart for a Mets club that has dealt with a number of early-season pitching injuries already. It would be understandable if the Mets were hesitant to include a big league ready arm like Tidwell in the return for Robert, especially if the deal were to happen early in the season before the trade market heats up in earnest. Speculatively speaking, the club could be more open to dealing a player like Tidwell later in the year, when they may have either received reinforcements from the injured list or swung separate trades with other clubs to acquire more starting pitching.

Mets Select Blade Tidwell; Danny Young To Undergo Tommy John Surgery

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The Mets announced this morning that they’ve selected the contract of righty Blade Tidwell in a move that was first reported earlier this week. Tidwell will take the 40-man roster spot of southpaw Danny Young, who is headed to the 60-day injured list due to an elbow issue that Will Sammon of The Athletic reports will require Tommy John surgery. Tommy John was first reported as a possibility for Young earlier this week.

The club optioned right-hander Austin Warren to the minor leagues to make room for Tidwell on the active roster, though Warren was immediately placed back on the roster as the club’s 27th man for today’s doubleheader against the Cardinals. That bit of roster maneuvering, according to Tim Healey of Newsday, will allow the club to option Tidwell to the minors after his start in today’s first game and call up Dedniel Nunez to make him available for Game 2. Mike Puma of the New York Post first reported that Nunez would be joining the Mets in St. Louis for today’s doubleheader earlier this morning.

Tidwell, 24 next month, was a second-rounder for the Mets in the 2022 draft and hit the ground running with a 1.93 ERA in five starts down the stretch in his draft year. He generally pitched quite well in the lower levels of the minors before hitting his first significant rough patch upon a promotion to Triple-A partway through the 2024 season. He posted a 5.93 ERA in 85 innings for Syracuse last year, and the results haven’t been much better this season as he’s posted a 5.00 ERA through his first six starts of the year. With that being said, Tidwell’s 31.6% strikeout rate is encouraging and an 8.5% walk rate is perfectly manageable. Tidwell’s struggles this year surely have at least something to due with an elevated .369 BABIP, so it stands to reason he could theoretically post much better results in today’s start than his Triple-A numbers might otherwise indicate.

Making way for Tidwell to join the 40-man roster is Young, who will miss the remainder of the 2025 season and at least some of 2026 as well. It’s a deeply disappointing outcome for the soon-to-be 31-year-old hurler. Young got his first extended look in the majors with New York just last year and pitched better than his 4.54 ERA in 42 appearances would indicate, striking out 29.0% of his opponents with a 3.64 FIP. It was enough to earn Young a spot in the club’s bullpen for this year, but he’ll unfortunately end 2025 with a familiarly pedestrian 4.32 ERA despite his strikeout rate improving to 35.1% and his FIP sitting at a fantastic 1.38 on the year. With Young and A.J. Minter both seemingly ticketed for season-ending absences, the Mets are known to be searching for lefty bullpen help even as the trade deadline remains nearly three months away.

Warren, meanwhile, will participate in today’s doubleheader before being sent back to Syracuse. The 29-year-old righty sports an impressive 1.69 ERA in 10 2/3 innings of work this year, but much of that is fortunate luck on batted balls and sequencing given that he’s walked (five) nearly as many batters as he’s struck out (seven) so far this year. The righty has only 48 2/3 innings of work in the majors to this point in his career, but he’s generally looked like a solid enough middle relief arm with a 3.14 ERA and 3.91 FIP overall. It seems likely that Warren will be shuttled between Syracuse and Queens frequently throughout the 2025 season as one of the few optionable pieces of the club’s bullpen mix.

Tidwell’s expected departure from the roster later today figures to make room for Nunez, who has not yet pitched in the majors this year but impressed in an up-and-down role last year with a 2.31 ERA, 35.6% strikeout rate, and 2.22 FIP in 35 innings of work across 25 appearances. The 28-year-old’s brilliant performance in the majors last year has not been replicated so far in Triple-A, as he’s posted a solid but unremarkable 3.48 ERA in 10 1/3 innings for Syracuse while punching out just 24.5% of his opponents. Even so, Nunez figures to be a solid addition to the club’s relief mix who could be counted on for multi-inning appearances or stick mostly to shorter outings like he has so far this year in the minors.

Mets To Promote Blade Tidwell

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The Mets are planning to select the contract of right-handed pitching prospect Blade Tidwell, as first reported by Daniel Wexler. He’ll join the team in St. Louis this weekend. The Mets currently have Sunday’s starter listed as TBD, and Mike Puma of the New York Post reports that Tidwell will make that start.

Tidwell, 23, was the Mets’ second-round pick in the 2022 draft. The former University of Tennessee standout is currently ranked among New York’s top-15 prospects both at Baseball America and at MLB.com.

The 6’4″ Tidwell is in his second run through the Triple-A level. He’s started the 2025 season with a rough-looking 5.00 ERA but much more appealing rate stats: a 31.6% strikeout rate, an 8.5% walk rate, a 38% ground-ball rate and a 0.67 HR/9 mark. Tidwell is averaging 96 mph on his four-seam fastball, up from last year’s 94.7 mph average, and has seen his swinging-strike rate jump from 11.6% to 14.5%. Fielding-independent metrics (3.17 FIP, 3.79 xFIP) feel Tidwell has been far better than his earned run average, which is currently skewed by a .369 average on balls in play.

Tidwell cruised through the low minors before struggling in his first brief stint in Double-A in 2023. He opened the 2024 season at Double-A and breezed through opponents in his second go-around before being bumped to Triple-A midway through the year. He was hit harder and struggled with his command in 17 starts there last year. Even with a 5.00 ERA, this year’s rate stats suggest that Tidwell is making gains in his second crack at Triple-A, just as he did in Double-A.

It’s likely that Tidwell’s initial call the majors will be a one-off. Even with an injury-ravaged rotation that’s seen Sean Manaea, Frankie Montas and Paul Blackburn hit the injured list already, the Mets have five healthy starters in Clay Holmes, Kodai Senga, David Peterson, Tylor Megill and Griffin Canning. Incredibly, all five have an ERA of 3.06 or lower. No team in the game is even close to the Mets’ MLB-leading 2.24 rotation ERA.

The Mets currently have a full 40-man roster, so they’ll need to make a corresponding moves on both the 26-man and 40-man rosters. Outfielder Jose Siri (fractured leg) and left-hander Danny Young (elbow sprain) are both 60-day IL candidates, so the Mets don’t necessarily need to designate someone for assignment in order to clear a path for Tidwell’s first big league promotion.

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