Mets lose Familia to DL with sore shoulder
Cespedes to begin Minor League rehab assignment
NEW YORK -- The Mets' bullpen took another hit on Friday in advance of the Subway Series, when the team placed closer Jeurys Familia on the disabled list due to soreness in his right shoulder. The club recalled right-hander Jacob Rhame from Triple-A Las Vegas to replace Familia on the roster.
Familia recorded a 2.48 ERA in 29 innings, with 14 saves. The Mets' setup man, AJ Ramos, is also on the DL, making Robert Gsellman and Anthony Swarzak the primary candidates to close. Seth Lugo, whom the Mets are moving to the rotation to replace injured starter Noah Syndergaard, is not a candidate.
• Syndergaard to miss Sunday start
"With Familia out, I still feel like we have some good options that we can go to," manager Mickey Callaway said. "We'll have to see what the inning dictates at that point."
According to Callaway, Familia began experiencing the soreness during Wednesday's outing against the Orioles. A subsequent MRI revealed no structural damage, but the Mets decided the best course of action was to put him on the DL for a period of rest. The team believes the issue is unrelated to the blood clot in Familia's shoulder that required surgery last May.
"The symptoms are what we're treating right now," Callaway said. "I think we're optimistic. Obviously, with any DL stint, you can't put a time frame on anything, because you know how those go."
Familia, who has four blown saves in 18 attempts, declined to discuss his injury.
• Wilmer Flores is "progressing nicely" from the lower-back injury that has sidelined him since May 28, according to Callaway, though there remains no timetable for his return.
• The Mets announced that they have promoted their No. 3 prospect, Justin Dunn, their first-round Draft pick in 2016, to Binghamton. Dunn, 22, posted a 2.36 ERA with 51 strikeouts in 45 2/3 innings at Class A St. Lucie.