Photo by Ed Delany, MMO
Mets’ manager Luis Rojas said on Saturday that right-hander Arodys Vizcaino, who had been dealing with elbow soreness, threw 15 pitches to a batter in a live BP session on Thursday, and that he “looked good.”
Vizcaino, 30, was able to boost his velocity to 96-97 mph this spring before he got hurt, which is in line with what he was hurling when he closed out games for the Atlanta Braves a few years back.
In 2018, his fastball velocity was in the 98th percentile, according to Baseball Savant, while his spin rate was in the 87th percentile. If he can continue what he displayed in spring, Vizcaino could be a weapon out of New York’s bullpen this year.
Drew Smith, 27, had recently been dealing with shoulder soreness, but is slowly working his way back and is in a “throwing progression,” Rojas said. Smith has yet to throw off a slope, however.
After undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2019, Smith made his way back during the shortened 2020 season and appeared in eight ballgames.
During his last full season of 2018, Smith displayed strong fastball velocity and spin, while also mixing in spin on his curveball which ranked in the 83rd percentile.
While both pitchers will likely miss opening day, they could bolster the Mets’ bullpen when they return down the road.
