The New York Mets are about to get their standout reliever back from injury at an opportune time.
Mets reliever Dedniel Nunez has been on the 15-day IL since July 26 with a strained right forearm. The injury interrupted his notable rookie outing. The Dominican righty owns a show-worthy 2.43 ERA and 45 strikeouts across 33.1 innings pitched for New York. He’s gone 2-0 with a save under his belt on the campaign.
In a season where the Mets’ bullpen has had marked ups and downs, including a roller coaster ride for superstar closer Edwin Diaz, Nunez has been a model of consistency for the ball club. He’ll look to be that again for the Mets as he approaches one of his final hurdles in his road back to the mound.
Mets’ Dedniel Nunez to throw a bullpen session on Sunday
CBS Sports reported that Nunez will gear up to throw from the bullpen on Sunday. Their Roto Wire staff gave this update on the 6-2, 180-pound talent’s recovery schedule and what the Mets can expect in the short term:
“Nunez became eligible for reinstatement Thursday and was initially expected to be back shortly after the minimum 15 days. However, he’s behind schedule and will likely require multiple bullpens before being activated,” the network shared.
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Mets’ Nunez can help the Mets win their remaining home games down the stretch of the year
The Mets’ bullpen has 31 saves on the season, good for seventh-most in the Majors. But in the month of August, they’ve only recorded one. New York has done a decent job of limiting blown saves, having only botched 17 on the campaign, which puts them right in the middle of the pack across the league. All things considered, Nunez is needed in a leadup role for the Mets, to set them up better in the final inning of play, and could even be deployed in the ninth inning again before the year concludes.
Nunez is also a surefire moneymaker at home. The difference between his play at Citi Field and on the road is night and day. The slider and four-seamer artist owns a mind-boggling 0.50 ERA and 0.667 WHIP in 18 innings pitched in Queens, NY, and conversely, a forgettable 4.70 ERA and 1.239 WHIP away from his home diamond. Though, in clutch situations, he delivers. With two outs on the board, the former long-time Mets minor league prospect limits opposing hitters to a .135 batting average, his lowest metric among all-out situations.
Nunez has done most of his work in the sixth through eighth innings, and will likely reclaim one of those slots once he re-enters Mets manager Carlos Mendoza’s rotation next to Diaz, Reed Garrett, and company as the 2024 season winds down. The Mets (61-56) have 22 more home games left on their slate. Nunez can help them win as many of those games as they can in their quest to claim a playoff spot at the start of autumn.
