Mets rule out key reliever for rest of regular season

The Mets placed right-hander Reed Garrett on the 15-day IL Thursday, ruling him out for the remainder of the regular season.

Sep 11, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Mets pitcher Reed Garrett (75) shows a pitch against the Philadelphia Phillies during the sixth inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

As the New York Mets head into a crucial 10-game stretch to close the regular season, they will do so without one of their most utilized bullpen arms.

On Thursday morning, the Mets announced that right-handed reliever Reed Garrett was placed on the 15-day injured list with a right elbow sprain. The move effectively rules him out for the remainder of the regular season, which ends Sept. 28.

The Mets also placed left-hander Sean Manaea on paternity leave and designated right-hander Dom Hamel for assignment. In corresponding moves, three right-handed pitchers were recalled from Triple-A Syracuse: Huascar Brazobán, Chris Devenski, and Wander Suero.

We have made the following roster moves.@clovercommerce | #LGM pic.twitter.com/Wk6yA19JuU

— New York Mets (@Mets) September 18, 2025

Garrett, 32, has appeared in a career-high 58 games for the Mets in 2025. Over 55.1 innings, the right-hander went 3-6 with three saves and 20 holds, posting a 3.90 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, and a 10.4 K/9 rate. He did not allow an earned run in April and pitched well into May but struggled with a 7.36 ERA in June and an 8.00 ERA in August.

When asked about Garrett’s injury pregame, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza did not rule out Tommy John surgery as a possibility:

"It’s hard to say. We have to wait until we get the imaging, but it’s concerning," Mendoza said. He added that they had Garrett warming up in the bullpen Wednesday night but had to shut him down.

Carlos Mendoza did not rule out Tommy John surgery as a possibility for Reed Garrett:

"It's hard to say, we have to wait - but it's concerning" pic.twitter.com/tR6uwvAHxY

— SNY (@SNYtv) September 18, 2025

Near the end of August, Garrett was placed on the 15-day IL due to right elbow inflammation. At the time, Mendoza said Garrett was having difficulty recovering from his outings, noting his frequent usage. He was activated on Sept. 7.

Garrett also missed a month of the 2024 season with swelling in the same elbow. After his return, he posted a 4.11 ERA in his final 17 appearances and a 5.40 ERA in seven postseason appearances as the Mets advanced to the NLCS against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

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It is uncertain whether Garrett will be able to return for this year's postseason. But before that can be determined, the Mets first need to punch their ticket. Entering Thursday, the Mets held a 1.5-game lead over the Arizona Diamondbacks for the final NL wild card spot. 

By waiving Hamel, who pitched a scoreless inning in his MLB debut on Wednesday, and adding three fresh arms, the Mets bolster their bullpen heading into Thursday afternoon's series finale against the San Diego Padres. They will hand the start to 22-year-old rookie Jonah Tong, who aims to rebound from his rough outing last Friday.