The Mets have placed catcher James McCann on the 10-day injured list because of lower back spams, per Tim Healey of Newsday Sports. The move is retroactive to August 17.
The Mets do not expect McCann to miss more than the minimum amount of time, but given the specialization of the catcher position, they chose to be judicious in replacing him on the roster. Right-handed pitcher Geoff Hartlieb was recalled from Triple-A.
Patrick Mazeika and Chance Sisco are already on the roster to share the catching duties in McCann’s absence. Mazeika has started behind the plate in the four games since McCann has been out. Sisco was claimed off waivers from the Orioles on June 25.
Hartlieb was claimed off waivers from the Pirates earlier this season. The 27-year-old right-hander has struggled in small samples with both the Mets and the Pirates, tossing nine innings combined over seven appearances while allowing 11 earned runs. He was a 27th round draft pick of the Pirates back in 2016, posting solid run prevention numbers in the minors up through his debut in 2019. In parts of three seasons since, Hartlieb has logged 66 1/3 major league innings with a 7.46 ERA, but 5.42 FIP.
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