Earlier today, front line reliever Dellin Betances sat down to answer questions during a hot stove panel at the Mets’ inaugural winter Fan Fest. Most notably, the right-hander discussed his recovery process following a season-ending Achilles injury in September:
“I’ve thrown three bullpens already, so I feel good throwing off the mound,” Betances told SNY‘s Gary Apple. “I’m doing more running now than I was earlier in the offseason. I’ll be ready to go for this year and I’m definitely excited.”
Betances, 31, missed the vast majority of his 2019 dealing with a shoulder impingement before striking out the only two batters he faced in his September debut. He promptly tore his Achilles celebrating the latter punch out, and went into the offseason with a loose timetable for spring training rehab. Needless to say, it seems certain that the Bronx native will be ready to pitch by then, as Deesha Thosar of the New York Daily News had reported in January.
Of course, the present course of action seems much more encouraging. Having signed with the organization over the holidays, the longtime Yankee setup man has silently been one of the game’s most effective relievers since 2014. Among 273 qualified relievers since 2014, Betances sports the lowest xFIP (2.27), third-highest strikeout percentage (40.4%), and third-highest soft-contact rate (27.3%).
The righty also touched on his relationship with former manager Carlos Beltran, a former teammate from 2014-16 who played an integral role in Betances’ decision to sign across town:
