The New York Mets pitching staff has gotten hit hard by the injury bug recently, and the punches just keep on coming. The latest injury update spells more bad news for their bullpen, as left-hander Danny Young is set to undergo Tommy John surgery and miss the rest of the season, which is a crushing blow for a New York squad that is already short on lefty relievers.
Young hit the injured list on Wednesday last week after an MRI revealed a left elbow sprain. The writing was on the wall when Young was transferred to the 60-day injured list on Sunday, with news of his surgery coming to light shortly after. Previously, New York lost left-handed reliever A.J. Minter to the injured list with a lat injury that could also require season-ending surgery, which would make an already bad situation even worse for the Mets.
Mets Bullpen Takes Big Blow with Danny Young Injury
After struggling to find his way to the majors, Young finally broke into the league in 2022 with the Seattle Mariners and Atlanta Braves. He briefly pitched for the Braves in 2023 before finding his way to the Mets, where he carved out a role for them in their bullpen. Young pitched in 43 games, posting a 4.54 earned run average while striking out 48 batters over 37.2 innings of work.
Young once again earned a spot in the majors this season, and through 10 games, he had a 4.32 ERA with 13 strikeouts. A lefty-specialist, Young has fared significantly better against left-handed hitters throughout his career, allowing just a .609 OPS vs. lefties compared to a .735 OPS against right-handed hitters. With Minter out, the hope was Young would step up and fill in his role, but now, he’s out for the rest of the year.
The 2025 season has just gotten started, meaning that New York is going to have to find a way to shore up their bullpen at some point this season, especially if Minter is forced to undergo surgery on his aforementioned injury. When discussing the injury, Young admitted that the timing couldn’t be any worse, as the Mets were already struggling to piece things together before getting dealt this blow.
“This is about as bad a timing as you can get,” Young said. “It’s unfortunate. I obviously want to pick up the slack. This is the situation we’re in now.”
Mets Recall Dedniel Nunez to Majors in Wake of Danny Young Injury
GettyMets manager Carlos Mendoza
With Young out, manager Carlos Mendoza is going to have to get creative with how he utilizes his bullpen on a nightly basis. The team already found a replacement for Young for the time being, promoting Dedniel Nunez from Triple-A for their doubleheader against the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday. Nunez posted solid numbers in his MLB debut in 2024, appearing in 25 games with a 2.31 ERA and 48 strikeouts.
The problem is that Nunez is a right-handed pitcher, meaning he isn’t a direct replacement for Young. Brooks Raley is an option for the second half of the season, as he’s recovering from Tommy John surgery himself, but the team needs help now. Where they go in the wake of losing Young will be a storyline to watch moving forward.
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