Good morning, Mets fans!
Edwin Díaz officially returns from his 10-game suspension on Saturday. It’s amazing news for Mets fans, who have seen some brutal performances from the team’s bullpen during his absence. Díaz won’t solve all the bullpen’s problems, but the impact of getting that extra man back and having an actual closer can’t be overstated. The Mets went 5-5 during Díaz’s absence but certainly could have and should have won more.
The Mets (42-44) lost to the Pirates (42-45) 14-2 in the series opener in Pittsburgh on Friday. As indicated by the final score, it was a difficult watch for any Mets fan. The team tied the all-time franchise record by allowing seven home runs including two grand slams, while the Pirates themselves tied their franchise record with seven long balls. Luis Severino allowed seven runs in six innings while Jake Diekman and Ty Adcock combined to allow seven runs in 1 2/3 innings.
Syracuse Mets manager Dick Scott and pitching prospect Mike Vasil spoke to the Baseball Isn’t Boring podcast about the impact that Jose Iglesias had while he was in Syracuse.
Reliever Matt Festa elected free agency after being designated for assignment by the Mets on Wednesday. Festa made one appearance for the Mets and allowed five runs (four earned) in one inning.
MLB announced that Alec Bohm will participate in this year’s Home Run Derby. Bohm is the second player so far, along with Gunnar Henderson, to agree to be in this year’s event.
Per Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the Braves signed Eddie Rosario to a minor league contract. Rosario spent time with the Braves from 2021 to 2023 and was a huge piece of their World Series team. He was recently released from the Nationals, where he had a .555 OPS in 67 games this season.
Robert Murray of FanSided reported that Carl Edwards Jr. signed a minor league deal with the Padres. Edwards Jr. had a 3.69 ERA in 32 games with the Nationals last year and was pitching really well in Triple-A this year with the Cubs organization.
Kumar Rocker began a rehab assignment on Friday night. The former Mets draft pick and current Rangers prospect underwent Tommy John surgery last year after posting a 3.86 ERA in High-A.
In the latest Mets Minors Recap, Michael Mayer highlights dominant performances from Brandon Sproat and Ryan Clifford for Double-A Binghamton.
Michael Famulari recaps Jose Quintana‘s brilliant performance against the Nationals on Thursday.
Jack Ramsey previews the 2024 trade deadline including potential targets for the Mets.
Metsmerized is partnering with FOCO to give away a pair of their New York Mets Pinstripe Summer Chef Sets. To enter for a chance to win, like and retweet this post and follow both Metsmerized and FOCO on X. The winner will be chosen on Tuesday.
1962: Rod Kanehl hit the first grand slam in Mets history on this day in 1962 in the team’s 79th game of the year. Kanehl’s long ball helped the Mets to a 10-3 victory over the Cardinals.
Birthdays: Lance Johnson (61), Willie Randolph (70)
The post Morning Briefing: Edwin Díaz Returns From Suspension Today appeared first on Metsmerized Online.
