LOS ANGELES -- With no free space in their resurgent bullpen, the Mets on Tuesday optioned left-handed reliever Josh Edgin to Triple-A Las Vegas. Edgin was already in Vegas rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, but he had exhausted his 30-day Minor League rehab window.
Overall, Edgin appeared in 10 games on his rehab assignment, allowing one run in eight innings with 12 strikeouts and two walks. But those numbers masked a relative lack of velocity for Edgin, who struggled to hit 90 mph in recent outings. Edgin, 29, averaged 92.5 mph with his fastball in 2014, his final season before undergoing Tommy John surgery in March 2015.
Eventually, Edgin is a good bet to return to the Mets' bullpen. He posted a 1.32 ERA in 47 games as the Mets' primary lefty specialist in 2014, while holding left-handed batters to a .185 average and .217 on-base percentage. But with Edgin unavailable last summer, the Mets acquired and later re-signed lefty specialist Jerry Blevins, who is now a key member of this year's bullpen. The Mets also inked left-hander Antonio Bastardo to a two-year deal over to the winter and sent a third lefty, Sean Gilmartin, to the Minors this spring.
The reorganization has paid dividends. Overall, the Mets entered Tuesday's play leading the National League with a 2.54 bullpen ERA. So there was simply no room for Edgin, even if his velocity had been normal.