QUEENS, NY — New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza was enthusiastic after learning that his club traded for Washington Nationals outfielder Jesse Winker.
“It’s a big move,” Mendoza said on Sunday. “We’ve seen [Winker] a lot, especially when we played the Nationals… the way he controls the strike zone, the power. He’s going help.”
Mendoza seemed sure that Winker is going to be a depth piece for the Mets, citing the heavy workloads for some of the starters.
“There’s some guys here that we need to take care [of]. we’ve been riding pretty hard. J.D. Martinez, [Jose] Iglesias, even guys like Vientos…so he’s gonna get a lot of opportunities, especially against right-handed pitching.”
Despite Winker playing it rarely throughout his career, Mendoza said that playing him in right field is “on the table.”
Winker was an All-Star in 2021 with the Cincinnati Reds and has bounced around since then, playing for the Seattle Mariners, Milwaukee Brewers, and Nationals before landing in Queens. This season in D.C., he was slashing .257/.374/.419 with 11 home runs and 45 RBI.
Mendoza also confirmed that relief pitcher Reed Garrett, who was placed on the IL on July 10 with right elbow inflammation, pitched a bullpen on Sunday and is expected to face live hitters on Wednesday.
“He’s getting there. It was good to see him on the mound,” Mendoza said. “The biggest thing is he felt good. He’ll face hitters Wednesday, and two days later, hopefully, he’s on a rehab assignment.”
When asked if the goal is to have Garrett ready for the Mets’ makeup game in St. Louis against the Cardinals on Aug. 5, Mendoza was unsure: “We gotta wait, see how he responds…That’s still TBD.”
Garrett had been a big piece of the Mets’ bullpen in 2024, putting up a 7-3 record and a 3.64 ERA, striking out 53 hitters in 42 innings.
