The New York Mets are in full playoff contention mode as the blue and orange sit at 55-50 and in the final wild-card spot.
With the Mets in postseason contention, president of baseball operations David Stearns has been gearing up the roster for a stretch run. On Monday, Stearns did just that, designating struggling relief pitcher Jake Diekman for assignment.
The blue and orange have called up a recently acquired left-handed reliever to take Diekman’s spot in the bullpen.
The Mets have called up Matt Gage from Triple-A Syracuse
According to Will Sammon of The Athletic, the Mets have called up left-handed relief pitcher Matt Gage from Triple-A Syracuse.
Gage was designated for assignment by the Los Angeles Dodgers earlier this month, and the Mets acquired the left-hander for cash considerations. Prior to the deal, Gage had spent the entirety of the season pitching for Triple-A Oklahoma. The 31-year-old has pitched 21 innings across 20 appearances to a 4.29 ERA with a 1.381 WHIP and 27 strikeouts.
Since coming to the Mets organization, Gage has pitched 5.1 innings across five appearances for Triple-A Syracuse without allowing a run and a 0.938 WHIP while striking out seven and registering three saves.
The New York native has had spurts in the major leagues over the past two seasons with the Houston Astros and shined, pitching 19.2 innings across 16 appearances to a 1.83 ERA with a 1.068 WHIP and 20 strikeouts.
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What does this mean for the Mets?
Gage will quickly be thrown into action and will look to prove himself in his first appearance as Stearns and company try to gauge what they have before the trade deadline. The New York native has performed well in late-game situations for Triple-A Syracuse and could potentially pitch in those scenarios for the Mets.
Time will tell if Gage works out in the Mets bullpen, but with Diekman’s struggles, the organization felt the time was right to give the 31-year-old a shot.
