NEW YORK -- Eleven months after undergoing Tommy John surgery, Mets reliever Josh Edgin took another significant step forward in his return from the operation, recording two outs Sunday in his first Minor League rehab appearance for Class A St. Lucie.
Edgin allowed one run on one hit, with a strikeout and a walk. But the numbers hardly mattered as much as his presence. Minor League rehab assignments can last a maximum of 30 days for pitchers, so barring a setback, Edgin is now on track to return from the disabled list in early May.
In New York, Edgin would potentially give the Mets a second lefty specialist option alongside Jerry Blevins. The Mets have a third experienced left-hander in Antonio Bastardo, whom they have used as a full-inning reliever early this season, and a fourth in Sean Gilmartin, who is in the Minors.
But Edgin first must prove on rehab assignment that his velocity is consistently back to the 92-mph average he posted before tearing the ulnar collateral ligament in his left elbow in March 2015. Edgin was one of the team's most valued relievers before surgery, producing a 1.32 ERA in 47 appearances in '14.