The ailment bug has recently taken a toll on the New York Mets pitching staff, and the blows keep coming. With left-hander Danny Young scheduled to have Tommy John surgery and miss the remainder of the season, the most recent injury report portends even more terrible news for their bullpen. This is a devastating blow to a New York team already lacking lefty relievers.
After a left elbow injury was discovered via an MRI on Wednesday of last week, Young was placed on the disabled list. With the announcement of Young’s surgery soon after his transfer to the 60-day disabled list on Sunday, the writing was on the wall. A.J. Minter, a left-handed reliever, was previously placed on the disabled list by New York due to a lat injury that would necessitate season-ending surgery, further exacerbating the Mets’ already dire circumstances.
Mets Bullpen Takes Big Blow with Danny Young Injury
Young struggled to make it to the main leagues, but in 2022 he made his debut with the Atlanta Braves and Seattle Mariners. In 2023, he had a brief appearance as a pitcher with the Braves before joining the Mets and making a name for himself in their bullpen. Young threw 37.2 innings in 43 games, striking out 48 hitters and recording a 4.54 earned run average.
With a 4.32 ERA and 13 strikeouts in 10 games this season, Young earned a seat in the big once more. Throughout his career, Young, a lefty specialist, has performed noticeably better against left-handed hitters, giving up only.609 OPS against them as opposed to.735 against right-handed hitters. Young was supposed to step up and take Minter’s place, but he’s out for the remainder of the season.
Since the 2025 season has only just begun, New York will need to find a means to strengthen their bullpen at some point throughout the season, particularly if Minter needs surgery to treat his previously noted ailment. When talking about the injury, Young acknowledged that the timing couldn’t be worse because the Mets were already having trouble putting things together before this setback.
According to Young, the timing couldn’t be worse. It’s regrettable. I want to take the slack, of course. This is the current state of affairs.
Mets Recall Dedniel Nunez to Majors in Wake of Danny Young Injury
Carlos Mendoza, the manager, will need to be more inventive in his use of his bullpen each night now that Young is out. Dedniel Nunez was promoted from Triple-A for Sunday’s doubleheader against the St. Louis Cardinals, marking the team’s temporary substitute for Young. In 2024, Nunez made his Major League Baseball debut, pitching in 25 games with a 2.31 ERA and 48 strikeouts.
The issue is that Nunez isn’t a straight substitute for Young because he is a right-handed pitcher. Although the club needs assistance right now, Brooks Raley is a possibility for the second half of the season as he recovers from Tommy John surgery. Going future, it will be interesting to see where they go after losing Young.
