Aug 19, 2020; Miami, Florida, USA; New York Mets relief pitcher Dellin Betances (68) gives the ball to manager Luis Rojas in the 8th inning at Marlins Park. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports
New York Mets relief pitcher Dellin Betances is joining Low-A St. Lucie to begin his rehab assignment today, as first reported by Newsday’s Tim Healey.
News: The Mets sent righthander Dellin Betances to Low-A St. Lucie on a rehab assignment today.
— Tim Healey (@timbhealey) June 13, 2021
“He’s been throwing really good throughout his progression,” Luis Rojas said before Sunday’s game. “We are optimistic in him going into the assignment.”
Betances, 33, hit the injured list on April 8 with a shoulder impingement. In his only appearance this season, the right-hander pitched one inning and allowed one run with his average fastball velocity down to 91.8 mph. For comparison, during the 2020 season, his average fastball velocity was 93.6.
The 2020 season was certainly one to forget for Betances. In his first season with the Mets, he appeared in 15 games and pitched to a 7.71 ERA and 2.057 WHIP in what was an injury-riddled season.
The Mets signed Betances in the December following the 2019 season. The 6’8″ right-hander exercised his player option this past offseason to stay with the Mets for the 2021 season.
The bullpen has performed well in Betances’ absence to this point. Coming into today, the Mets own the fourth-best bullpen ERA in the National League at 3.51. Additionally, the squad just got a major piece back with Seth Lugo, who has pitched to a 1.59 ERA and has struck out nine over 5.2 innings since his return.
At this time, it’s unclear how long Betances will need to spend on his rehab assignment before being able to join the big-league club.
