New York Mets Calling Up Veteran Reliever
More bullpen depth.
On Monday, the New York Mets called up left-handed reliever T.J. McFarland and optioned lefty hurler Josh Walker to Triple-A Syracuse, per Anthony DiComo of MLB.com.
This comes one day after Walker and Jeff Brigham imploded in the eighth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies, which was the Mets' worst loss of the season.
To be fair, it wasn't Walker's or Brigham's fault that they were used in such a close game with the lead. Manager Buck Showalter opted to not pitch his high-leverage relievers in David Robertson and Adam Ottavino for some odd reason.
Moving on, McFarland signed a minor league deal with the Mets on January 3.
McFarland, 34, has posted 2.76 ERA for Triple-A Syracuse across 32.2 innings this season.
In 351 career big-league games, the southpaw has a 4.13 ERA. However, in 2021 McFarland posted a 2.56 ERA and 1.06 WHIP for the St. Louis Cardinals in 38.2 innings.
Entering play on Monday night, the Mets' bullpen holds a 4.22 ERA, which is ranked 22nd in baseball.
The Mets head back to Citi Field with an abysmal 35-42 record. They are 15 games behind the Atlanta Braves in the National League East and eight games back of the final Wild Card spot.
They will play four games against the Milwaukee Brewers before facing the San Francisco Giants for a three-game set.
First pitch on Monday night against the Brewers is at 7:10 p.m.
