Even after fortifying their bullpen at the trade deadline, the New York Mets anticipated a trio of relievers to return from injury in August. While one already has, and another might not be too far behind, a third will be out longer than initially expected. Manager Carlos Mendoza announced on Thursday that the Mets will shut down Sean Reid-Foley from his rehab assignment.
Carlos Mendoza says that Sean Reid-Foley is being shut down from throwing for a few days as he strengthens his shoulder.
Mendoza says that Reid-Foley currently has no structural issues with his shoulder. pic.twitter.com/uFGimfSNk4
— SNY (@SNYtv) August 15, 2024
Reid-Foley has been attempting to come back from a right shoulder impingement suffered in late June. He managed to make six rehab appearances and seemed on track to return sooner than later. However, the righty allowed nine runs and eight walks in these games. Additionally, Reid-Foley’s decreased velocity represented cause for concern.
Mets Shut Down Sean Reid-Foley From Rehab Assignment
The shutdown comes a day after Reid-Foley allowed two runs, two hits, and two walks in 1 1/3 innings in a rehab appearance. Although Reid-Foley clearly is not 100 percent, Mendoza revealed that there is no structural damage to his shoulder at this point.
“Structural-wise, the shoulder is fine,” Mendoza said. “We just want to make sure that we get that stable, so he’s probably going to be shut down from throwing for a few days to get that stronger. So, we’re going to pull him, obviously, from the rehab assignment and then we’ll see where we’re at after a couple of days and then kind of get him back up again, ramping up.”
The 28-year-old was quietly having an excellent season. In predominantly low-leverage situations, Reid-Foley threw 21 2/3 innings in 23 games while posting a 1.66 ERA (233 ERA+). If he had enough innings to qualify, he’d sit with the league leaders in Ground Ball, Barrel, Strikeout, and Whiff percentages.
Mets Upcoming Bullpen Crunch
Reid-Foley’s delayed comeback might not be the worst thing in the world for the Mets. New York traded for three relievers in July and just activated Reed Garrett from the injured list. Plus, the team expects Dedniel Núñez to return sooner than later.
The Mets could suddenly face a serious roster crunch in the bullpen. Amongst the relievers with minor-league options, Danny Young represents the only candidate with a chance of being demoted. However, sending him down would leave the team with zero left-handed relievers.
Is it officially time to let Adam Ottavino loose? pic.twitter.com/l0IcViSxmM
— MetsMuse (@MetsMuse) August 12, 2024
Another option the Mets will consider is designating veteran Adam Ottavino for assignment. David Stearns hasn’t shied away from moving on from underperforming veterans. But, Ottavino is a clubhouse leader coming off a 10-game stretch where he posted a 1.08 ERA. It remains to be seen whether Stearns would move on from someone of his stature.
Fortunately for the Mets, the shutdown of Reid-Foley will delay the decision, perhaps until September when teams have expanded rosters.
Photo Credit: © Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports
