The New York Mets continue to make transactions ahead of the looming trade deadline. On Friday, the team dealt away reliever Cole Sulser to the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for cash, per MLB.com's Anthony DiComo.
While donning the Mets jersey, Sulser saw action in just four games, tallying 1.929 WHIP. He struck out seven batters and allowed six hits in 4.2 innings pitched. For most of the season, the right-hander was playing with Triple-A Syracuse, where he put up a 1.48 ERA to go with 34 strikeouts and 1.055 WHIP in 30.1 innings pitched.
Sulser's trade comes just days after he was designated for assignment by the Mets. Prior to his stint with New York, the reliever played for teams such as the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Miami Marlins, the Baltimore Orioles, and interestingly, the Rays as well.
The New York Mets as of late
Looking at the team's pitching rotation, the relievers stand out as an area of concern. Dedniel Nunez and Reed Garrett are sidelined with injuries, which is quite worrying considering how both have been stepping up from the bullpen as of late. Nevertheless, Jose Butto continues to be an emerging asset while the team just acquired Ryne Stanek and Phil Maton for more reliever depth. Additionally, Edwin Diaz seems to be finding his groove once again.
Furthermore, Kodai Senga's season debut on Friday was more anxiety-inducing than it was celebratory. After missing more than a hundred games due to a shoulder injury, Senga finally made his highly-anticipated return against the Atlanta Braves. However, after over five innings, the 2023 All-Star went down with a calf injury. The Mets may have taken home an 8-4 victory, but the sight of Senga grabbing his calf in pain diminished the Citi Field atmosphere.
On the bright side, all the pitching setbacks won't change the fact that the Mets are on the rise. The biggest storyline surrounding the team is their mid-season resurgence. Led by Francisco Lindor, Pete Alonso and Brandon Nimmo, the Mets turned a 22-33 record to an impressive 55 wins and 48 losses in just two months.
In the past eight years, the franchise has only tasted the playoffs once — during the 2022 season, in particular. Last year, they bowed out after finishing with 12 wins below .500. They're on track for another postseason berth, but it won't be easy. Plenty more games await on their schedule, and the Mets have to keep pushing in order to make this a campaign to remember.
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