The New York Mets have dealt with numerous issues during the 2024 season, but despite all that, the blue and orange teams still find themselves in playoff contention as they currently sit two games behind the final wild-card spot with a record of 67-61.
However, the organization has recently gotten healthy with the returns of Starling Marte and Reed Garrett from the injured list. On Friday, they activated a late-blossoming relief pitcher from the 15-day injured list.
The Mets have activated Dedniel Núñez from the 15-day injured list
According to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com, the Mets have activated relief pitcher Dedniel Núñez off the 15-day injured list.
Núñez had been on the injured list since July 24 after going down with a right pronator strain. The 28-year-old had slowly been working back over the past few weeks before finally making a rehab appearance for Triple-A Syracuse on Tuesday, pitching one scoreless inning while allowing a hit and picking up a punchout.
Before the injury, the Dominican Republic native had been one of the most prominent surprise contributors and arguably the bullpen’s most valuable relievers since making his MLB debut on April 9. Núñez has pitched 33.1 innings across 24 appearances to a 2.43 ERA with a 0.930 WHIP while recording 45 strikeouts and a save.
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What does this mean for the Mets?
The return of Núñez is a significant boost to the Mets’ bullpen. Manager Carlos Mendoza’s circle of trust has withered over the past couple of weeks, and the 28-year-old’s return gives the first-year manager another reliable arm to call on when the Mets have the lead.
In addition, the Dominican Republic native’s ability to consistently throw strikes will be a welcome addition, as the bullpen often struggles in that area late in the game.
Time will tell what role Núñez fills right away, but as the leaves begin to change colors, the 28-year-old should be one of the Mets’ best options out of the bullpen.
