Familia back after Minor League rehab stint

NEW YORK -- Fresh off a championship with Class A Savannah -- his final stop on a two-week Minor League rehab assignment -- right-hander Jeurys Familia rejoined the Mets on Saturday morning at Citi Field.

Ranked as the Mets' 11th-best prospect, Familia had not been active since undergoing June 5 surgery to remove bone spurs and loose bodies from his right elbow. Now fully healthy, he should be able to log a few big league innings before proceeding on to Dominican Winter Ball. Familia will report to camp next spring as a leading bullpen candidate for the Mets.

"I wasn't scared," Familia said when asked if he thought surgery would end his season. "I just had to wait to see how I felt. I'm so excited. I was working hard down in Florida to try and get here."

Prior to surgery, Familia posted a 3.48 ERA over eight appearances with the Mets, earning his first career save May 3 in Atlanta. He pitched a scoreless inning Friday night in Savannah's 2-0 win over Hagerstown, which clinched the South Atlantic League championship.

"His velocity is great," manager Terry Collins said. "He threw the ball over the plate -- all the good signs. It's really a tribute to how hard the kid worked to get back, because we certainly didn't expect him back this year at all. He was determined to pitch again."