The Mets announced a host of roster moves on Friday afternoon. Outfielder Brandon Nimmo is back from the injured list, as are reliever Jeurys Familia and catcher Tomás Nido. Righty Marcus Stroman has been activated from the bereavement list. To clear four active roster spots, New York placed lefty David Peterson on the 10-day IL, retroactive to July 1, and optioned infielder Travis Blankenhorn, catcher Patrick Mazeika and southpaw Thomas Szapucki to Triple-A Syracuse.
Nimmo’s reinstatement is the most welcome of the developments for the Mets. The center fielder went on the IL on May 5 with a left index finger injury. It was initially termed a contusion, but further evaluation first suggested it was a nerve problem and eventually revealed a small ligament tear. Ultimately, the bothersome issue kept Nimmo out for nearly two full months.
The Mets are surely thrilled to have the 28-year-old back. Nimmo got off to a stellar .318/.430/.439 start through 80 plate appearances this season, a continuation of the fantastic production he’s put up over the past few years. He joins Jeff McNeil and Michael Conforto as recent returnees from the IL for New York, who leads the National League East by two games.
Peterson’s IL placement isn’t wholly unexpected. He’s been dealing with discomfort in his right side in recent days and was already expected to miss his next start. With the All-Star Break just 10 days away, it makes sense for New York to at least shut him down through then. It’s been a bit of a confounding season for Peterson, whose ERA has jumped from 3.44 to 5.54 since 2020 despite improvements in his strikeout and walk rates (from 19.5% to 24% and 11.7% to 10.1%, respectively).
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