The New York Mets announced that pitcher David Peterson will be activated from the 60-day injured list Wednesday and start for team that day against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Peterson has yet to pitch for the Mets this season after undergoing hip surgery last November.
After missing the entirety of spring training to recover from his surgery, Peterson has spent an extended period making rehab starts across various minor league levels. In 23.2 innings, he has pitched to a 1.14 ERA., with 35 strikeouts and just three walks. The Mets are hopeful he can translate that success into the majors, with walks often being an issue for him throughout his major league career.
In a rough 2023 season for the left-handed pitcher, Peterson allowed 50 walks across 111 innings and pitched to a 5.03 ERA. Even though he found a lot of success in 2022 with a 3.83 ERA across 105.2 innings, walks remained an issue for him, allowing 48 free passes.
It remains to be seen how the Mets intend to use Peterson this season outside of the spot start Wednesday. The rotation already appears to be full, with Jose Quintana, Sean Manaea, Luis Severino, Christian Scott and Tylor Megill comprising it. But the Mets have flirted with the idea of a six-man rotation, which would likely include Peterson.
Peterson could also prove to be a very useful arm out of the bullpen, especially in the wake of lefty reliever Brooks Raley needing season-ending Tommy John surgery.
With Raley out for the season, the only lefty relievers currently in the bullpen are Josh Walker, who has split time between Triple-A and the major league club this season, and Jake Diekman, who has struggled with his command this season. Walker has pitched to a 2.35 ERA across 7.2 innings with the big league club this season. Diekman has walked 14 batters and hit two more in 16.1 innings, posting a 3.86 ERA.
While Peterson has spent the bulk of his major league career as a starter, he also has experience pitching out of the bullpen. He has thrown 26.2 innings out of the bullpen in 16 outings, posting a 2.70 ERA.
With the team struggling in recent weeks to get consistent pitching out of the bullpen, Peterson could end up being a huge aid for the Mets this season.
