Prior to tonight’s game against the Rockies, the Mets have recalled reliever Chris Devenski and optioned Brandon Waddell to Triple-A Syracuse.
The move is not all that surprising, as Waddell ate up five innings in middle relief during the team’s 9-4 loss on Wednesday, which helped spare the rest of the bullpen. He needed to do so because Griffin Canning only lasted three innings, forcing the left-hander to soak up innings four through eight. He allowed four earned runs on seven hits while striking out three and walking one.
Devenski has made one appearance for the Mets this season, and that came on April 30 when he pitched the final two innings of the team’s 4-3 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks. In that contest, the right-hander allowed two earned runs on two hits, with one walk and two strikeouts. Incidentally, Waddell’s only other appearance this year came on April 30, when he tossed 4 1⁄3 innings of scoreless relief for opener Huascar Brazobán.
Aside from Ryne Stanek, who pitched the final inning on Wednesday, the Mets come into this contest tonight with a fully rested bullpen, which should put them at a clear advantage in this series. By swapping Waddell with Devenski, that gives Carlos Mendoza another fresh arm for the weekend. In 18 1⁄3 innings for Syracuse, Devenski owns a 1.96 ERA.