How Mets' reliever has fared since being sent down to Triple-A

Mets reliever Huascar Brazobán made his third appearance since being optioned to Triple-A Syracuse on Saturday.

May 5, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; New York Mets pitcher Huascar Brazoban reacts against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

When the New York Mets optioned veteran reliever Huascar Brazobán to Triple-A Syracuse on July 29, it was meant to serve as a reset: an opportunity to regain the confidence and command he showed through the first two and a half months of 2025.

Through June 17, the 35-year-old carried a 1.62 ERA, consistently pitching the Mets out of jams and looking well on his way to an All-Star nod. But a steep decline followed, as he posted a 10.66 ERA over his next 14 appearances, forcing the Mets into the difficult decision to send him down.

While the move temporarily removed him from the big-league bullpen picture, manager Carlos Mendoza made it clear the team expected him back before season’s end.

“You hate to send a guy down, especially a guy who since Day 1 has been huge for us,” Mendoza said on July 29. “But we’re going to use this time to continue to build him for a potential role here, because we told him you’re going to be back.”

Carlos Mendoza says the Mets will stretch out Huascar Brazobán to up to 40 pitches in Syracuse pic.twitter.com/9bVLWhvZTr

— SNY (@SNYtv) July 30, 2025

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Brazobán's Stint with Triple-A Syracuse

On Saturday, Brazobán made his third appearance for Syracuse since the move, sticking to the Mets’ plan of pitching every three days and gradually building his workload toward 40 pitches.

However, yesterday's outing was a significant and alarming setback. Facing the Charlotte Knights, Brazobán was shelled for seven runs on nine hits, including two home runs, in just one inning of work on 31 pitches. What was hoping to be his third straight scoreless outing unraveled into a meltdown. Brazobán currently holds a 14.54 ERA in 4.1 innings at Triple-A.

The outing exposed some of the very issues that Brazobán struggled with at the major league before his demotion. Too many noncompetitive pitches, and location problems that enabled opposing hitters to get strong contact off of him. All four of Charlotte's scoring plays in yesterday's 5th innings came off the bat at 98 MPH or more.

May 26, 2025; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets relief pitcher Huascar Brazoban (43) walks off the field after being relieved during the eighth inning against the Chicago White Sox at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

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For New York, this further complicates a bullpen that underwent a major overhaul at the trade deadline with the additions of Gregory Soto, Tyler Rogers, and Ryan Helsley. However, the bullpen has seen face after face walk into the bullpen only to leave shortly after. From Rico Garcia, Chris Devenski and more, expect the Mets to keep playing roulette to try and solidify their full bullpen for their postseason push.

The Mets' margin for error has drastically decreased amidst their free fall, and their grip on both the NL East and Wild Card races has loosened. They now trail Philadelphia by 4.5 games in the division and hold only a 2.5-game lead over Cincinnati for the final Wild Card spot.

While Saturday doesn't shatter Brazobán's chances of returning to the big leagues this season, it certainly is a wake-up call. Brazobán still has the ability to be an impact reliever, but performances like Saturday’s serve as a reminder that confidence and command are as critical as raw stuff. And Brazobán will have to right the ship quickly if he wants to make any impact down the stretch for the Mets.