Injuries & Moves: Mets leave Vasil, Hamel unprotected
This page will be updated throughout the offseason, with all the latest Mets signings, news and transactions.
LATEST NEWS
Nov. 19: Mets don't add anyone at Rule 5 Draft protection deadline
The Mets declined to protect any of their eligible prospects from the Rule 5 Draft on Tuesday, the deadline for clubs to add such players to their 40-man rosters. That leaves right-handers Mike Vasil and Dom Hamel exposed for any team wishing to take a flyer on them.
The Rule 5 Draft allows clubs to select players not on their organization's 40-man roster for a $100,000 fee, provided the drafting team is willing to keep those players on their active roster or injured list all season. Players like Vasil and Hamel, who were initially drafted at age 19 or older, become eligible for the Rule 5 Draft after four professional seasons.
Vasil, the Mets’ eighth-round Draft selection in 2021, was a popular preseason pick to join the Mets’ rotation at some point this summer. But he struggled out of the gate at Triple-A Syracuse and never fully recovered, finishing with a 6.04 ERA in 29 appearances. Hamel, the Mets' third-round pick in 2021, similarly posted a 6.79 ERA in 27 starts.
Nov. 18: RHP Justin Hagenman signed to Major League contract; OF Rafael Ortega and INF Donovan Walton signed to Minors deals
The Mets announced a trio of signings on Monday highlighted by Hagenman, who received a big league contract despite never having previously played in the Majors. A longtime Dodgers farmhand, Hagenman spent all last season at Boston's Triple-A Worcester affiliate, producing a 4.91 ERA over 15 starts and 13 relief appearances.
Ortega, 33, was previously with the Mets as a bench bat in 2023. He made a cameo for the White Sox last season but otherwise spent his summer at Triple-A, where he produced a .911 OPS mostly as a center fielder. Walton, 30, similarly spent the bulk of his year at Triple-A for the Giants, who called him up in September. He's a middle infielder who also has experience at third base and in the outfield.
Both Ortega and Walton received invitations to big league camp, where they'll battle for spots on the Opening Day roster.
INJURY UPDATES
OF Tyrone Taylor (recovery from hernia and elbow surgeries)
Expected return: Opening Day
After the season, Taylor underwent both an umbilical hernia repair and a right elbow loose body removal operation. The Mets estimated the recovery time for those operations at around two months, which should have Taylor back to full strength well before the start of Spring Training. Assuming he's healthy, Taylor should reprise his role as the Mets' most-days center fielder. (Last updated: Nov. 18)
OF Brandon Nimmo (plantar fasciitis in left foot)
Expected return: Opening Day
Nimmo played through plantar fasciitis throughout the postseason and expected to receive a platelet-rich plasma injection early in the offseason to address the issue. He should be back to normal by Opening Day, though the issue will nonetheless be one to watch for Nimmo, who has been dealing with plantar fasciitis since May. (Last updated: Oct. 25)
RHP Dedniel Núñez (strained right flexor tendon)
Expected return: 2025
The Mets shut Núñez down for the season after he received a platelet-rich plasma injection in his right flexor tendon, which has bothered him to varying extends since July. Initially, Núñez missed a month due to a similar injury. He returned for a single outing on Aug. 24 before landing back on the IL.
Following a second opinion, Núñez received his PRP shot on Sept. 13 in hopes of avoiding surgery, which he should still be able to do. The Mets hope Núñez can throw off a mound by mid-November, after which point he can have "a pretty normal offseason," according to president of baseball operations David Stearns. Núñez was one of New York's best relievers when healthy, with a 2.31 ERA over 25 appearances. (Last updated: Oct. 25)
RHP Paul Blackburn (spinal fluid leak in mid-back)
Expected return: 2025
Blackburn was scheduled to rejoin the Mets' rotation on Sept. 9 in Toronto, but he felt something in his lower back after his rehab outing with Triple-A Syracuse on Sept. 3. That something turned out to be a spinal fluid leak, which prompted the Mets to shut Blackburn down on Sept. 14. He restarted a throwing program four days later, but he never returned and wound up undergoing surgery in early October.
That operation, which carries a typical recovery timeline of 4-5 months, could affect Blackburn's readiness for Opening Day. As such, the Mets will need to make a tender decision this offseason on Blackburn, who is under team control for one more season and could factor into the club's rotation plans if healthy. (Last updated: Oct. 25)
RHP Christian Scott (right elbow UCL sprain)
Expected return: 2026
Scott's promising rookie season came to a premature end in late September, when underwent a hybrid elbow surgery that combines a Tommy John ligament replacement with the insertion of an internal brace. Scott is likely to miss the entire 2025 season and be ready for Opening Day 2026. At that point, he will be closing in on his 27th birthday with nine career big league starts on his resume. The Mets are hopeful he can still be a significant part of their future, but that's now far down the road. (Last updated: Oct. 25)
INF Ronny Mauricio (recovery from right knee surgery)
Expected return: 2025
Mauricio underwent arthroscopic surgery on Aug. 2 to remove scar tissue in his right knee, adding another complication into a difficult season for the 23-year-old. He had undergone a separate surgery in early January to repair a torn ACL in his right knee, which he injured during winter ball in the Dominican Republic. Initially, the Mets hoped Mauricio might return before the end of the regular season, but his second operation removed any possibility of that.
For now, the former top prospect's future remains in flux. Mauricio's recovery "has definitely gone a lot slower than we expected," Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns said in late October, leaving doubt about what the infielder can provide in the future. Mauricio slashed .248/.296/.347 with six extra-base hits, nine RBIs and seven stolen bases over a 26-game stint with the big league club in 2023 but has barely been on a diamond since that time. (Last updated: Oct. 25)
RHP Drew Smith (right elbow sprain)
Expected return: 2025
Smith underwent the second Tommy John surgery of his career on July 12, after doctors found significant ligament damage in his right elbow. The operation, which involved both a ligament reconstruction and the addition of a stabilizing internal brace, ended Smith's season.
The right-hander can be a free agent in November and could miss all of next season, depending on how quickly he progresses in his rehab. A typical timeline for Tommy John recoveries is 12-18 months. Like many Tommy John patients, Smith expects to seek two-year deals on the open market, so an acquiring club could oversee his rehab and then have him at full strength in 2026. (Last updated: Oct. 25)
LHP Brooks Raley (left UCL strain)
Expected return: 2025
Raley, a heavily used reliever who was having trouble recovering between outings in mid-April, had Tommy John surgery on May 29. The procedure, which Dr. Keith Meister performed in Arlington, ended his season and possibly his Mets tenure.
Because of a clause in Raley's contract, he is eligible to become a free agent in November despite having fewer than six years of service time. As such, he may have thrown his final pitch with the Mets. (Last updated: Oct. 25)
RHP Sean Reid-Foley (right shoulder impingement)
Expected return: 2025
The Mets removed Reid-Foley from his rehab assignment in mid-August to give him time to strengthen his shoulder, which had affected him to varying extents since March. He resumed throwing in early September but ran out of time to rejoin the Mets, who finished their season without him. Arbitration-eligible for the first time, Reid-Foley will be a non-tender candidate this offseason. (Last updated: Oct. 25)