Former New York Mets pitcher signs with Yankees

In his last outing with the club, the right-hander was perfect through the final 2.2 innings of Game 2 in last Thursday's doubleheader against the Baltimore Orioles. Despite his impressive effort to preserve the rest of the bullpen, Garcia was designated for assignment the next day to make room for Kodai Senga's return from a rehab stint.

Ironically, Garcia's first appearance for the Mets came against his new team. The righty twirled two scoreless innings against the Yankees, and he even caught slugger Aaron Judge looking at a 3-2 curveball.

The Mets signed Garcia to a minor league deal in November 2024, and he joined the big league roster on July 3rd after 24 appearances (4.45 ERA) for Triple-A Syracuse. The veteran right-hander played for five teams from 2019-2023, but was away from the majors for two years before his two appearances in July.

Garcia is out of minor league options, so the Yankees will have to create an open spot for him on the active roster. But with relievers Fernando Cruz, Mark Leiter Jr., and Yerry De Los Santos all landing on the IL in the last few weeks, the team is desperate to add to the bullpen. With a fastball that topped out at 98 miles per hour this season and years of big league experience under his belt, Garcia figures to be a solid short-term fix for the Yanks.

Unfortunately, the Mets have had their share of injuries in the bullpen too. With Tommy John surgery looming for Max Kranick, and Dedniel Núñez already set to undergo the procedure, the team can't afford to lose many more relievers.