The New York Mets have placed relief pitcher Dellin Betances on the 10-day IL Thursday with a right shoulder impingement, per multiple reports.
In a corresponding move, the Mets are bringing up side-arming reliever Trevor Hildenberger to take Betances’ spot in the bullpen.
It’s the latest twist of Betances’ swift drop-off. Once one of the game’s most feared late-inning relievers with the Yankees, the 33-year-old’s career has been derailed by a myriad of injuries that have heavily impacted his velocity.
Betances’ fastball has dropped off significantly since joining the Mets, coming into spring training this season topping out at 93 mph. While many questioned whether or not he had a place in the Mets’ bullpen heading into 2021, manager Luis Rojas made it clear in the final week of spring training that Betances would be a part of the team’s relief core.
He allowed one run in his season debut on Wednesday in Philadelphia against the Phillies where he showed a lack of command on his slowed-down pellets.
His struggles were just one of the issues surrounding a Mets bullpen that has done little to suggest that they can be a reliable group moving forward.
In their opening game of the series, the Mets’ bullpen had an ERA of 6.00, ranked third-worst in the majors.
