This story was excerpted from Anthony DiComo’s Mets Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

WASHINGTON -- When the Mets lost Edwin Díaz to injury during the World Baseball Classic in March, the fear was their relief corps would collapse without their all-world closer. But two months later, that has not happened. Through 42 games, no bullpen in baseball has blown fewer saves than the Mets (3).

There are plenty of reasons why. But a big one is David Robertson, who recorded his 1,000th career strikeout during Friday’s win over the Nationals. The 38-year-old has been lights out in Díaz’s place, going 7-for-7 in save chances with a 0.53 ERA in his first 15 appearances for the Mets.

“I’ve been chasing [1,000] for a while,” Robertson said this weekend in Washington. “I wasn’t sure if I was ever going to get to it or not. It’s a big number for me. I look at it as the kind of accomplishment like [Max] Scherzer and [Justin] Verlander got when they got to 3,000. Getting to 1,000 for a reliever is a big deal.”

All of which makes this a fine time to acknowledge the steady excellence of Robertson, who is quietly putting himself among some of the top relievers, not only of his era, but in MLB history.

Among pitchers with at least 700 relief appearances, his 11.9 K/9 in relief is fourth since 1906. And not only is he the 14th pitcher with 1,000 strikeouts solely in relief, he’s done so in only 746 career appearances and 756 1/3 innings -- 56th and 126th all time, respectively.

“I got a new elbow -- that helped a lot,” Robertson said, referring to the Tommy John surgery he underwent in 2019 at age 34. “I was definitely not going to get there without that surgery. I just try to stay in shape and keep a positive attitude, and when I get between the lines, do everything I can to try to get those outs.”

Robertson spent most of 2019-21 recovering from that surgery. Otherwise, he’s averaged 79 strikeouts per year in his past four full seasons. So assuming he pitches at least a few more, he stands a chance at moving higher on the all-time list:

6. Jesse Orosco, 1,169
7. Lindy McDaniel, 1,165
8. Francisco Rodriguez, 1,142
9. Mariano Rivera, 1,135
10. Trevor Hoffman, 1,133
11. *Kenley Jansen, 1,124
12. *Craig Kimbrel, 1,122
13. *Aroldis Chapman, 1,066
14. *David Robertson, 1,000

(*denotes currently active.)

And given how well he’s pitching, that’s not an unfair assumption. Asked if he has an idea of how long he’d like to pitch beyond this year, Robertson said he “doesn’t think of myself as being old” and that he “still feels I’m at the top of my game.” 

“That’s why I keep taking one-year deals,” he said. “I would like to end it on a high note. I want to end it on a World Series [title]. That’s my goal. If not, I’ll see if my wife will let me play some more.”

This weekend’s milestone also allowed Robertson to reflect on his first strikeout, from back on June 29, 2008. The story struck an amusing chord in the Mets clubhouse. Robertson’s first victim? Oliver Pérez, the journeyman left-handed reliever who spent parts of five eventful seasons (mostly) starting games for the Mets from 2006-’10. 

“Nine pitches,” Robertson chuckled. “That wasn’t an easy out for me. But I got him out, let’s put it that way.”