The Tampa Bay Rays took a worthwhile risk in the 2024 Rule 5 Draft when they selected left-handed pitcher Nate Lavender away from the New York Mets.
A 14th-round pick in the 2021 MLB Draft, he had to undergo internal brace surgery in May 2024. The Rays knew that he wouldn’t be available in the early part of the 2025 campaign, but halfway through his rehab process, it made sense to take a chance on him.
There was hope that he would be available in the second half of the regular season and vie for a spot in the Major League bullpen. Unfortunately, that isn’t how things developed over the course of the campaign.
A setback of some sort must have occurred because Lavender didn’t make an appearance on the mound at any level in 2025. As a result of not being healthy and the injured list disappearing last week, the Rays decided to designate him for assignment.
Rays send Nate Lavender back to Mets