Well, Francisco Alvarez is back. 

And Tomȧs Nido is no longer a Met. 

That decision has come and gone.

Quick, time for another!

Edwin Díaz will be returning on Thursday. The struggling right-hander was placed on the IL on May 29 with a right shoulder impingement after surrendering multiple blown saves throughout the month of May.

Dedniel Núñez, Photo by Roberto Carlo

Carlos Mendoza confirmed on Wednesday that when Díaz is activated, he will retain the closer role he has fought hard to earn.

With that activation, the Mets faced a difficult decision — who gets sent down to make room for their All-Star reliever?

That question was quickly answered on Wednesday night after another strong performance by Dedniel Núñez. 

It has been reported that left-handed reliever Danny Young will be sent back down to Triple-A Syracuse despite posting a 1.00 ERA in nine innings for the Mets this season.

It solidifies that Dedniel Núñez earned himself a roster spot to keep. Recently turned 28, the right-handed flamethrower was seemingly the obvious choice for demotion when he first was called up and Díaz was placed on the IL. When he joined the team on May 31 from Triple-A Syracuse, his outlook was as a solid depth option while veteran relievers like Adam Ottavino, Drew Smith, and Jake Diekman steered the ship. 

That has all gone awry in the last week. The veterans have slumped, and Núňez has emerged as a promising young arm within the Mets arm barn. 

On Wednesday, Núñez took over for a wavering David Peterson in the sixth inning, and proceeded to toss 2 1/3 perfect innings, striking out five of the seven batters he faced. 

The performance brought the right-handers season ERA down to 2.30 over 15 2/3 innings pitched. He’s struck out 24 batters over those frames and posted a filthy 0.83 WHIP. His 38.9% strikeout-to-walk ratio is second among MLB relievers, behind only A’s closer Mason Miller. 

Now, this is a small sample size. But, Núñez has made himself a case with his stats, and the front office has chosen to give a longer trial run with the return of Díaz to the pen. The former starters ability to pitch multiple innings is definitely a big reason why he’s become an important part of the Mets’ bullpen. 

Will Núñez continue his success? Who knows? Baseball is a funny game, and sometimes the next high-leverage bullpen arms appears out of nowhere. 

Only time will tell.