NEW YORK -- The 2026 season is over for Mets right-handers Robert Stock and Daniel Duarte, each of whom was placed on the 15-day injured list on Wednesday.
Stock has numbness in his right fingers, while Duarte sustained a left hamstring strain against the Orioles on Tuesday night.
To replace Stock and Duarte, the Mets recalled right-hander Xzavion Curry and left-hander Jefry Yan. Curry received the start in Stock's place on Wednesday night against the Orioles, lasting three innings while allowing six runs off six hits, including four home runs, in a 7-1 loss.
All six runs were scored early. Pete Alonso went yard first by hitting his 37th homer of the season in the opening frame. One inning later, Jeremiah Jackson hit a two-run homer, while Christian Encarnacion-Strand and Samuel Basallo hit consecutive homers in the third inning.
“He got behind in counts more than he typically does,” interim manager Andy Green said of Curry. “It’s not the type of stuff that is overly successful when you are behind. He is a guy who has worked ahead effectively for us when he has been with us this year. [But tonight] he found himself behind in a lot of counts to guys with some thump, and they put a charge into it.”
Curry, who is in his fifth stint with the club, has a 5.48 ERA in 21 1/3 innings this season.
Yan, meanwhile, is in his second stint with the club. He followed Curry on Wednesday, tossing three perfect frames while striking out three of the nine batters he faced.
“You can’t really ask for anything more – three perfect innings, 32 pitches,” Green said. “The velo kept ticking up. There is a lot to like there. Also the enthusiasm for the game is fun to have in the dugout, even when you are having a tough day. He loves pitching for the Mets, and he did one heck of a job today."
Stock was scheduled to start Wednesday’s game against Baltimore, but he started feeling weakness in his wrist, which traveled to his fingers during his last few starts. It turned out the problem is the residual effects of the thoracic outlet syndrome surgery he underwent during Spring Training.
Fortunately, the team doctors found a way to get rid of the numbness in his fingers.
“I have a medicine that is supposed to help the circulation,” Stock said prior to Wednesday's game. “I just took it and I’m going to try and throw. It seems like it is going to work. If it doesn’t work -- and we just taxed our bullpen the last couple of days -- then it’s not fair to the team for me to go out there and say, ‘Hey, is this medicine going to work or not?’
"We need our starting pitcher to do his job. I’m not worried about my hand. We are testing to see if this medicine is going to work."
Stock recovered from TOS surgery quickly enough to appear in eight games (seven starts), going 1-3 with a 5.93 ERA. His last appearance was on Sept. 9, when he allowed three runs in four innings against the Marlins.
Stock, 36, believes he has done enough to be considered for a big league job in 2027. He wants to pitch into his late 40s like former left-hander Jamie Moyer did in the early 2010s.
“My name should be in the conversation for being a Major League pitcher,” he said. “Obviously, there are a million things I want to improve on. Those are increasing my pitch mix with a curveball and changeup, I need to throw more strikes, I can afford to throw a little bit faster. I did a good job this year of ensuring that I’ll have a job next year.”
As for Duarte, he hurt his hamstring in the 10th inning of New York’s 7-5 loss to the Orioles. With runners on first and third and Jeremiah Jackson at the plate, Duarte threw a wild pitch that allowed Encarnacion-Strand to score.
Encarnacion-Strand and Duarte nearly collided at the plate as Duarte was jumping for a throw from catcher Francisco Alvarez. Duarte was seen limping to the mound after that play, but he claimed he was OK and finished the inning.
Duarte was productive in the late innings, sporting a 2.12 ERA with two saves in 24 games.
“He had such a good season. He has done so many good things,” Green said. “He has pitched setup innings for us, he has closed for us a few times. It’s a tough loss for the last two weeks of the season. We don’t think it’s anything serious.”