Mets hoping rehabbing reliever will be ready by Opening Day

The New York Mets are cautiously optimistic about having one of their top relievers, Dedniel Nunez, ready for Opening Day.

Aug 24, 2024; San Diego, California, USA; New York Mets relief pitcher Dedniel Nunez (72) celebrates on the field after defeating the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-Imagn Images | Orlando Ramirez-Imagn Images

The New York Mets enter Spring Training in need of a huge boost to their bullpen. If all goes well, that boost could come from a 28-year-old with an electric arm returning from injury. 

As reported by MLB.com's Anthony DiComo, the team is cautiously optimistic about the return of a healthy Dedniel Núñez by Opening Day. After exploding onto the scene in early April, Núñez's breakout season ended in August due to injury. Núñez sprained the pronator mass in his right forearm in July, and returned for just one game the following month before missing the rest of the season with a flexor injury. 

Mets officials hope and believe Dedniel Núñez will be ready for Opening Day, but they're also not completely sure.

More on the situation regarding one of the Mets' best relievers:https://t.co/qs9VqHHbzp

— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) February 15, 2025

The hard-throwing righty flashed an upper-90s fastball with a vicious slider that kept batters off-balance. Across 35.0 innings in 2024, Núñez recorded a 2.31 ERA, with a 0.91 WHIP, and a sparkling 48:8 K:BB ratio. Núñez has been in the Mets organization since 2016 when he signed as an international free agent out of the Dominican Republic. 

On Saturday, Núñez threw a bullpen session at Clover Park where a group of Mets coaches, including manager Carlos Mendoza, eagerly observed his progress. It was his second bullpen session of the spring and he is one of the only pitchers yet to throw a live batting practice session. The Mets are intentionally handling Núñez with kid gloves and have already stated they will not rush him to be ready for the season opener on March 27th. 

Bullpen work for Dedniel Núñez and Sean Reid-Foley this morning 💪 pic.twitter.com/f9YNC8IJ3l

— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) February 15, 2025

Part of this is the significance of his injuries last season and his choice to avoid major surgery, opting instead for platelet-rich plasma injections to heal his arm. But another part is that the Mets desperately need Núñez to be a high-leverage arm for them this season. New York did little to upgrade their bullpen outside of re-signing Ryne Stanek and adding southpaw A.J. Minter from the Atlanta Braves in free agency.

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If Núñez is healthy he would immediately provide a much-needed boost to the back-end of the bullpen. But the Mets are being deliberately vague about a timeline, stating that he could be ready for Opening Day or they could opt to keep him out until April or longer. For a team planning on a late-run into October, there’s no point in risking re-injury by rushing him for the start of the regular season.

Last year, Núñez wasn’t even invited to Major League camp despite later being selected in April to the 40-man roster. This year, he has the opportunity to be a crucial bullpen presence for a team that has its eyes set on a World Series title.