The Mets announced a few updates to their injured arms on Friday evening.
Jacob Degrom is expected to make his first start of the season next week, and James McCann is on his way to a return as well.
But perhaps the biggest update has come in the bullpen. The team announced Friday that Trevor May is expected to return to the team next week while the team is in Washington.
With Drew Smith going to the IL, the team is also expected to move Tylor Megill into the bullpen when he returns in the near future as well. The Mets bullpen has been looking for consistent reinforcements over the last few weeks in their pen.
Trevor May struggled early in the season and had an 8.64 ERA before going down with a stress reaction in the lower portion of his right humerus.
Megill on the other hand is recovering from a shoulder strain. He’s expected to be back later in August, but the surprise is his move to the bullpen. Early in the season, the Mets counted on Megill to fill the loss of Degrom and the young right-hander did so adequately. The 26-year-old has a 5.01 ERA but had a 2.43 ERA in his first six starts.
Are the Mets bullpen reinforcements enough?
Megill and May adding reinforcements in the bullpen certainly help a team needing reliable late-inning options to get to closer Edwin Diaz.
But are they enough?
Statistically, the Mets bullpen is a lot better than people give them credit for. The team has a 3.45 bullpen ERA. That is ninth in baseball. The issue is with Drew Smith down, Seth Lugo being inconsistent and the team has struggled to find a reliable left-handed thrower.
The Joely Rodriguez/Chasen Shreve experiments have failed and David Peterson as a starter is much different than in the bullpen.
With the MLB Trade Deadline just four days away, general manager Billy Eppler and the Mets have been busy looking to improve their bullpen. The team has been linked to David Robertson, Joe Mantiply, and many others.
Robertson currently holds a 1.83 ERA with the Chicago Cubs. He also is excellent against left-handed hitters. Lefties are hitting just a .137 average against the 37-year-old. While he is currently the closer for the Cubs, Robertson would be the eighth-inning, high-leverage arm the Mets are looking for.
Robertson is one of the main names that have been tied to the Mets but the team has been in talks with many other teams as they look to improve their roster.
Joe Mantiply, the lone Arizona Diamondbacks all-star, has a 2.35 ERA for the team and is expected to cost top dollar from any team looking to get him. As a left-handed arm, Mantiply would solve an immediate need for the Mets with the current options on the roster having consistently failed.
The Detroit Tigers also have a couple of relievers that could intrigue the Mets. Michael Fulmer and All-Star Gregory Soto are named that have been tied to New York before the deadline. While all reports show the team has centered their talks on David Robertson, bringing back Fulmer or another arm wouldn’t hurt.
New York is expected to have a good group of reinforcements to help solidify the pitching staff with May and Megill. Regardless of their return, the 2022 season has shown that neither pitcher can be expected to jump in and dominate out of the gate.
With the Mets in the midst of a division race and potentially deep playoff run, it’s important the team has a number of reliable relievers who can come in and help the team immediately.
Megill and May are good players. But the team knows that won’t be enough to solidify a championship run.
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