Mets activate lefty reliever Gregory Soto for bullpen
Baltimore Orioles relief pitcher Gregory Soto delivers against the Cleveland Guardians during the ninth inning on Thursday in Cleveland. Credit: AP
SAN FRANCISCO — For Gregory Soto, it was an audition.
Twice this month, the hard-throwing lefty reliever was called on to face the Mets’ heaviest hitters as an Oriole, and twice he left unscathed.
The first time, it was Soto on Soto crime: Gregory faced Juan, and though the latter hit it hard, the former won the battle, inducing a ground out for the first of the two outs he’d need to escape the inning. The second time, he faced Francisco Lindor, Soto and Pete Alonso, retired all three, and got Soto looking on a pinpoint slider at the knees.
And now, he’s a Met.
“I was a little bit more motivated to show them what I was capable of doing just so they could see what I was able to do so they could trade for me,” Soto said via interpreter late Saturday. “We all read the news and we know that the Mets were looking for a lefthanded reliever. When we heard that news, I was a little bit more motivated, a little bit more excited to kind of show what I was capable of doing.”
On Sunday, Gregory Soto officially was activated by the Mets ahead of their series finale against the Giants; Jose Castillo was designated for assignment in a corresponding move. And with that, the Mets finally have a second lefty in the bullpen to complement Brooks Raley. It also signaled the beginning of what president of baseball operations David Stearns said would be a trade deadline push to shore up a relief corps beset by overwork and injury.
One thing is certain, though: Soto really, truly wants to be here.
“[I like] the way that they play the game, the culture that they have here, a lot of Latinos here as well,” he said. “This is a team where you want to be here. This is a team that wants to win and I want to win a championship so that’s why I want to be here.”
With the Phillies losing to the Yankees earlier Sunday, the Mets went into first pitch with a one-game lead for first in the NL East. The Orioles, meanwhile, have woefully underperformed and have made their home in the AL East cellar. So, really, Soto’s performance was partially an audition, partially a stay of execution.
He has a 3.96 ERA in 45 games with the Orioles this year, but the two-time All Star carries considerable upside: He has 44 strikeouts and 18 walks in 36 1/3 innings, a high ground-ball rate, and throws a hard sinker and fastball in the upper 90s, along with a slider and sweeper. Lefties are batting a career .206 against him.
“I think Soto is a great addition to our bullpen,” Brandon Nimmo said. “I love bringing in a hard-throwing lefty. I’ve never enjoyed facing him and hopefully, it’ll be the same for everybody else.”
Blackburn impresses
Paul Blackburn (shoulder) had what seems likely to be his final rehab outing with Triple-A Syracuse Sunday, allowing a run on five hits with a walk and six strikeouts over six innings. He allowed three runs over three minor-league rehab outings; Carlos Mendoza said they’ll see how he recovers and then make a decision.
“It was good to see him throw the ball that way,” Mendoza said of Blackburn, who ended last season on the injured list with a spinal fluid leak. “He’s been through a lot. It was a freak injury toward the end of last year that he had to deal with the whole offseason, and then spring training. He has a setback and goes down again . . .
"We’re hoping that finally now he’s 100%. We’ve seen in back-to-back outings now, the guy we acquired last year [with his] pitch ability. He throws strikes, keeps hitters off balance. Now, it’s more like, 'let me get hitters out' as opposed to just, 'I wonder how I’m going to feel.' That’s a good sign.”
Optimistic about Siri
Jose Siri (fractured left tibia) is “still not doing much” beyond running in a pool, Mendoza said, but he’s still optimistic that the outfielder will return this year. “He’s pushing for it and I’m expecting him to be back here at some point.”
Laura Albanese is a reporter, feature writer and columnist covering local professional sports teams; she began at Newsday in 2007 as an intern.
