The year’s ninth month is upon us, and in a surprising twist, the New York Mets are in the thick of the wild-card race and currently find themselves just two games back of the Atlanta Braves for the final spot.
With the roster expanding from 26 to 28, the blue and orange decided to use one of those spots to add some bullpen help and called up a veteran left-handed reliever.
The Mets have called up Alex Young
According to a post from the organization via X, the Mets have called up relief pitcher Alex Young from Triple-A Syracuse.
Young came to the Mets organization back in July after being placed on waivers by the San Francisco Giants, who had acquired the left-hander from the Cincinnati Reds the week prior. Initially, the left-hander made just a pit stop in Triple-A before being called up and pitching quite effectively.
Young pitched seven innings across seven appearances to a 1.29 ERA with a 1.000 WHIP and six strikeouts before being sent back down to make space for Reed Garrett.
The 30-year-old has struggled a bit since heading back down, with his overall Syracuse stats being 7.1 innings pitched across six appearances to a 4.91 ERA with a 1.091 WHIP and five punchouts.
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What does this mean for the Mets?
Young was the most likely bullpen call-up, especially considering how well he pitched at the big-league level this season. The Ohio native will likely be used opposite of fellow Young, Danny Young, in left-handed, right-handed matchup situations. If he performs well enough, he could find his way into the Carlos Mendoza circle of trust and be used in high-leverage spots.
Should the 30-year-old falter after a couple of appearances, Young could find himself being the odd man out when another arm gets healthy or if someone in Triple-A puts themselves in the call-up situation.
