The Mets have reinstated first baseman Pete Alonso, outfielder Kevin Pillar and reliever Seth Lugo from the injured list, Tim Healey of Newsday was among those to report. In other moves, the Mets designated outfielder Cameron Maybin and right-hander Sam McWilliams for assignment; selected outfielder Mason Williams; and optioned outfielder Khalil Lee, catcher Patrick Mazeika and reliever Sean Reid-Foley.
The returns of Alonso, Pillar and Lugo (all previously reported) will add some reinforcements to a New York team that has been ravaged by injuries this year. Despite their health issues, though, the Mets have started a solid 25-20 en route to a 3 1/2-game lead in the National League East.
Thanks in part to their injuries, the Mets acquired Maybin from the Cubs on May 18. The Mets bought extremely low on Maybin, whom they picked up for a dollar, but they got little bang for their buck. The 34-year-old totaled 33 plate appearances, collected one hit (a single) and struck out 12 times before they designated him.
McWilliams, meanwhile, signed a major league contract with the Mets last offseason despite having never pitched in the bigs. He also hasn’t reached the majors this season, instead throwing 8 1/3 innings of 10-earned run ball at the Triple-A level. The 25-year-old owns an ugly 8.60 ERA with 53 strikeouts against 25 walks in 52 1/3 Triple-A frames.
TradeAcuna
A great sign they are returning. Means they will be a .500 team again. Light schedule and lots of luck.
MetsFan22
Mets will not be a 500 club lol. Maybe Braves will!
TradeAcuna
Their current construction (healthy) is a .500 team. However, the Mets have an owner that cares about winning so Yes the Mets will be better than the Braves.
MetsFan22
Their team healthy is a 100 win team. Idk where you got 500 from. Their current team that is playing rn (not healthy) is around a 500 team.
Cosmo2
100 wins is way much to expect but it’s crazy to say this a .500 team when healthy when it’s been better than that with injuries
SoxRewl
Woah, 100 is a lot. Let’s not get carried away with this Mets roster. Probably profiles as a 88-92 win team if healthy and if Lindor was producing.
BeforeMcCourt
Every Met could have a career year and they likely do not win 100 games
MetsFan22
Lol good one
MetsFan22
If they all had career years they would beat the Mariners single season record…..
BobGibsonFan
de Grom’s career year he was 1 game over .500.
PitcherMeRolling
The Mets are playing at a 90 win pace without being healthy and without Lindor producing.
joeyrocafella
There is absolutely no basis to this statement of them being a .500 team. Not sure if you look at standings but the Mets are 6 games over .500 and their roster is improving… They also have the 2nd best ERA in the majors. The hate for the Mets seems to be real, for some odd reason
SheaGoodbye
Another cheer for the mute feature
Signed,
A fellow Mets fan
BobGibsonFan
They were healthy last year and were under .500.
But wait… wins mean nothing, right? That’s what everyone tells me when I say de Grom is a .500 pitcher.
alc47
The rotation didn’t have Stroman or walker last year, I’m not backing the 100 win prediction but definitely a different team.
RunDMC
Walker hasn’t pitched more than 53.1 IP/season since 2017, so it’ll be interesting to see how he holds up going forward, being at 49 IP.
metman
last year? lol lol
Cosmo2
deGrom is a “.500 pitcher”? You actually saying he’s not that good?
Ma4170
They lost syndergaard and Stroman last year… that’s a big deal seeing what they had to roll out to replace them… too many people on this site hate teams and just make things up
Deleted_User
LOL
phenomenalajs
I’d agree with you if you said they’d finish as a .5XX team.
newpony13
Reid-Foley is one of their best relievers, why’d they send him down? Is everyone else out of options?
Flyby
Out of the relievers only Gsellman and Smith were regular relievers and im pretty sure gsellman is out of options and smith has been deployed as an opener.
They also might be stretching SRF to be a starter with news Thor going to be pushed back on recovery time as outside of Lucchesi SRF is their only regular multi inning reliever.
marcfrombrooklyn
Gsellman is not out of options. I think he’s only used up one or two options, in ’16 and ’17. I’m not sure if he was optioned in 2017 or was an rehab assignments. Gsellman has pitched well enough to stay. He can go two or three innings, as can Lugo. Probably better to get SRF regular work as a multiple inning guy or perhaps as a starter with all those doubleheaders coming up. With Jordan Yamamoto on the 60-day IL, Thomas Szapucki having played only one game above high A before this season, and Jerad Eickhoff is not on the 40, it may make sense to stretch Reid-Foley out or at least get him regular work in Syracuse.
Flyby
for some reason i thought they used options in 19 for Gsellman too but it looks like he has 2 options along with smith lugo and diaz.
a dawg
He recently went deep in a game. They probably won’t pitch for a few days
Bill M
Interesting moves. The hyperlink for McWilliams is wrong. McWilliams did look pretty good in spring training.
andremets
Wrong McWilliams pick.
I suspect Super Pat and Reid-Foley will be back soon.
I always liked Maybrin but wow, that was about as bad a plate performance as one could have.
Orel Saxhiser
Luis Rojas is running neck-and-neck with Gabe Kapler for NL Manager of the Year. Kapler undeservedly took heat from fans in Philly, Rojas in Flushing. Maybe baseball fans in the Northeast don’t know as much as they think they do?
MetsFan22
Rojas is horrible when it comes to X’s and O’s…. but he does get along with the players and keep a good vibe with the team.
Orel Saxhiser
He’s not horrible at X’s and O’s. One of the best things about the Mets this season is how Rojas has improved the defense through positioning. He’s a forward-thinking guy who’s open to new ideas and using the available data. He also deserves a ton of credit for how he’s used the bullpen. H’s and O’s? I watch quite a few Mets games (my J.V. game most nights) and don’t see that at all. He’s a chip, off the old block, and will be a successful manager just like his father.
MetsFan22
The front office does that…… not him…… and he constantly makes horrible bullpen decisions…..
Orel Saxhiser
No, he doesn’t. Thats’ you second-guessing because you think relievers should have an ERA of 0.00. The bullpen has been a Mets strength, which means your point about “horrible” decisions couldn’t be more wrong if you tried.
MetsFan22
What you said makes no sense… the bullpen is elite bc of the pitchers we have. He could still make horrible decisions (which he has)….
marcfrombrooklyn
The Xs and Os are dictated by the front office these days: whom to use, when, and for how long. He’s not a veteran manager, so he can’t get away with going rogue the way guys like Dusty Baker or Joe Girardi can.. His job is to work with the players to get the most out of them and to implement the plan, not make independent decisions.
Orel Saxhiser
In my opinion, the interaction between the general manager and field manager is a positive aspect of the modern game. Two people working together for a common goal. The “good old days” of managers operating by gut instinct are thankfully gone. Like today’s best managers, Rojas does an excellent job communicating with his players. It’s his job to make sure they buy into what the organization is trying to achieve. Dave Roberts. Alex Cora. Kevin Cash. Those guys are the gold standard among modern managers. I see Rojas as being cut from a similar cloth. Knocking him for a rookie season interrupted by a pandemic is not fair. He’s proving himself now, despite the rash of injuries.
SonnySteele
I don’t want to believe it, but you’re probably right, Marc.
Cosmo2
Kepler basically got fired for being eccentric but it’s odd cuz they knew this when they hired him.
Orel Saxhiser
I’d rather have Kapler than the guy who replaced him.
whyhayzee
Philly once had a guy named Francona. They got rid of him. He’s done alright since then.
VonPurpleHayes
Not a fan of Girard at all, and I never thought Kapler was the problem. That being said it’s May 31st. Let’s see if Kapler can stick the landing. He didn’t in Philly.
MasterShake
Phillies fans have overrated their team ever since they signed Harper and he vowed to bring a WS to Washington.
VonPurpleHayes
Phillies fans do many things, but they never overrate their teams. In general they’re overly pessimistic.
MetsFan22
This is true. Same with Mets fans. Most aren’t as confident as me.
Robrock30
It is wrong to claim that the Mets only acquired Maybin for $ 1 from the Cubs. They also have to pay him ML minimum salary for the pro-rated year when they signed him so it was a really bad investment and there were better players to be had.
stymeedone
Pray tell? Who were those better players that could be “had”?
Deleted_User
LOL
Orel Saxhiser
There were no better players to be had. Maubin has been a useful player in MLB. Unfortunately, he had a bad short-term stretch with the Mets. It happens all the time. I just watched Justin Turner go through a brutal stretch of his own.
For Love of the Game
1 for 33 is a bad investment even at a buck plus the prorated minimum.
a dawg
Name a currently available cf available.
YankeesBleacherCreature
That’s easy to say in hindsight.
Robrock30
It is really bad karma by the Mets in optioning Mazeika and SRF as they are worthy and shouldn’t be rewarded with a demotion for their efforts.
Cosmo2
Sometimes you just gotta demote the guy who has options
DJ-VJ
Look. It’s a sign that the Mets are better when we argue about the quality of the guys they send down. Don’t forget the days when Kevin Plawecki was your pinch hitter…or worse,your starter.
Cosmo2
I kinda doubt Mazeika will even turn out to be better than Plawecki
davemlaw
So glad Pillar is back, one of my favorite players.
Ducky Buckin Fent
Man, that was rugged.
Getting back on the field so quickly has absolutely made me a fan of the guy.
I now have my very own Favorite Met.
First time for everything, uh?
GarryHarris
The first pitcher that throws inside intentionally or not will be ejected
manfraud
I imagine this is the end for Maybin
Stan Not the Man
I think so too, He was a good journeyman OF. Wish him well in his post career.
SonnySteele
Meanwhile, Miguel Cabrera plays on.
Brian Bickos
All you have to do is win a triple crown and they pay you forever.
jim stem
I wouldn’t mind if the Mets signed Maybin to a minor league contract. Let him get every day at bats and be that veteran presence around the kids. We still have no healthy depth in the outfield.
As expected, Mason Williams was called up, thus costing Maybin his spot. Injuries are going to happen, so who is next?
Metsfan9
Why option SRF who’s doing good over Jacob Barnes?
sviscusi
Because Barnes is out of options and has pitched well since the Colorado game and SRF has options but won’t be needed to piggyback in the next 10 days unless there’s an injury at which point he can come right back up without wait.
It’s basically lose Barnes or lose 2-4 innings of Foley.
Orel Saxhiser
Proper moves by the Mets. They are thinking long-term in regard to the season. Keep guys like Redi-Foley busy in AAA, continue using guys who are getting the job done. Managing bullpens is tricky this year with all the injuries. The Mets are handling it better than most teams. Excellent results so far. They more than held the fort while Lugo was out.
jim stem
Probably plan on stretching out Reid-Foley and set him up on an every 5th day routine.
Mets have a LOT of double headers coming up and very few days off. It’s smart to set up the shuttle schedule now.
Seven inning double headers are going to play into the Mets’ favor. With deGrom, Stroman, Walker and Peterson (hopefully) healthy, that really only leaves the #5 and #6 (game 2 of DH) spot needing the long man or piggy back routine. I can definitely see Reid-Foley being set up to start the second game of the double headers.
Lucchesi is the #5 for now, but he’s going to eat up the bullpen. They could just piggyback Reid-Foley right there then that turns into a normal end of the game routine.
Remember, Walker is doubtful fit much more than 100 innings. Lucchesi doesn’t go five and Peterson has been inconsistent, so we still need a solid 6th starter to be ready.
Side note: May has not looked like a dependable 8th inning option lately. Castro could be moving into that role until Lugo is ready to win it back. It still remains to be seen how many pitches per outing expected from Lugo.
Didn’t care for bumping back Peterson. I’d rather have seen him face a struggling Arizona team whose best hitters are lefthanded than the Padres. Stroman could then have opened the SD series on an extra day of rest.
Canosucks
Barnes is out of options for one obvious reason; harshly he sucks or rationally he has never been consistent enough that teams like the Angels had to keep sending him up and down. DFA Barnes and be done with him until his next disaster happens.
DJ-VJ
Look. It’s a sign that the Mets are better when we argue about the quality of the guys they send down. Don’t forget the days when Kevin Plawecki was your pinch hitter…or worse,your starter.
Oldschoolandthemets1980
I’d take Plawecki over Mccann
Cosmo2
Nah, Plawecki ain’t that bad but McCann is better.
whynot 2
You don’t know much about baseball then
MeetTheMets41
I’m hoping Alonso’s slump will end now that he is supposedly healthy…
SonnySteele
Amen brother!
Bill
Looks like it did!
icantstandyous
Now is the time to trade Conforto. Not needed thanks to McKinney. If Sandy can pull it off, now is also the time to put a package together to unload Lindor because he is not cutting it here. Maybe he can package alonso Lindor Mauricio plus $50mil to Dodgers or something like that. We don’t need Conforto, nimmo, Lindor and probably Davis neither now that villar is coming to his own.
Cosmo2
I’m sorry but all of that is completely ridiculous. You are grossly misreading this team.
Cosmo2
I’m sorry but all of that is completely ridiculous. You are grossly misreading this team. Kidding right?
chriscala
Trade Lindor . The most ridiculous comment I have ever read on here.
Canosucks
@icantstandyous
Man you are spot on! I agree with every word and add find some more future and depth at the trade deadline.
Kevin Pillar is one tough dude! And to get a knock his first time back; mentally tough too!