One of the New York Mets' most exciting offseason additions is about to make his debut with the club.
New York signed fireballer Shintaro Fujinami to add more depth to the bullpen but he wasn't able to begin Spring Training with the club due to a personal matter. He now is back with the club and is expected to make his first appearance with the club Thursday, according to SNY's Danny Abriano.
"Fujinami recently returned to camp after tending to a personal issue in Japan," Abriano said. "The hard-throwing right-hander has been preparing for his first game action of the spring, which is set for Thursday. 'He's been throwing some long bullpens, up to like 40 pitches,' (Carlos Mendoza said. 'It feels like he's ready to go, and we feel like he's in a good spot.'"
"The 29-year-old could have an inside track at a bullpen spot for Opening Day, but since he has minor league options remaining, the Mets have the ability to start him in the minors if they so choose -- without running the risk of losing him to another team."
Fujinami had a rough rookie season in 2023 but he still has plenty of upside. He has a blistering fastball and seemed to get more comfortable toward the end of the 2023 campaign.
He struggled with the Oakland Athletics to begin the season with an 8.57 ERA in 34 appearances. Fujinami then joined the Baltimore Orioles and turned things around and had a 4.85 ERA in 30 appearances to go along with a 32-to-15 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
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