Mets recall Dedniel Nunez to boost bullpen
New York Mets pitcher Dedniel Núñez during a spring training workout in Port St. Lucie, Florida, Wednesday Feb. 12, 2025. Credit: Newsday/Alejandra Villa Loarca
ST. LOUIS — Dedniel Nunez is back in the majors, maybe for good this time.
The Mets called up the righthanded reliever, who had a breakout but injury-shortened 2024, from Triple-A Syracuse on Sunday before the second game of their doubleheader against the Cardinals.
The bullpen had done well without Nunez, posting a 3.18 ERA, good for eighth in the majors entering the day. Their hope now is that they are re-adding another highly capable high-leverage arm to that mix.
“They’ve been really, really good,” Nunez said through an interpreter. “I’ve been proud to watch them, and now proud to be a part of this group.”
The Mets sent Nunez to the minors to open the season because they deemed him not physically prepared at the end of spring training. Because he missed much of last season with a strained right flexor, they wanted to be particularly careful with his early-season workload.
Nunez posted a 3.48 ERA in 10 games with Syracuse. He struck out 13 and walked seven in 10 1/3 innings. Most importantly, in the view of the Mets, he was healthy and able to work multiple innings or two of three days if called upon.
The Mets wanted to be sure that when they did bring him back, Nunez would stay in the majors for at least a while.
“That’s why it took a little bit longer than we anticipated, just to prepare him physically, mentally for the workload,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “He’s ready to go [in high-leverage situations]. He’s done it before. So we like what we saw out of him from Triple-A. So yeah. We’ll see what the game dictates.”
Nunez had a 2.31 ERA in 25 appearances as a rookie last season.
“When I got sent down, it gave me the opportunity to work on my pitches, to really execute in the zone,” he said. “But it also gave me time to get into game shape. That’s what I was able to do down there.”
Young update
Doctors recommended season-ending surgery for Danny Young’s sprained left elbow, Mendoza said.
“Now he’s gotta decide,” he said.
Tim Healey is the Mets beat writer for Newsday. Born on Long Island and raised in Connecticut, Tim has previously worked for the South Florida Sun Sentinel, the Boston Globe and MLB.com. He is also the author of “Hometown Hardball,” a book about minor league baseball in the northeast.
