After a trade deadline that completely transformed the New York Mets bullpen, one of the only remaining veterans is going to miss some time.
The club has placed closer Devin Williams on the 15-day injured list with a right shoulder strain. Coming up from Triple-A to take his spot is right-hander Jonathan Pintaro.
According to Pat Ragazzo of Athlon Sports, Williams' shoulder strain is believed to be "pretty minor." The move to place him on the IL is being viewed as a precautionary one by the Mets given where they reside in the standings.
This news comes less than a week after it was revealed Williams was battling arm fatigue, which made him unavailable for the Mets' game last Wednesday in Cleveland. Right-hander Daniel Duarte picked up his second career save in his stead that night, but the team did not seem too concerned that Williams was dealing with something significant.
The 31-year-old righty pitched on Friday, coming on in the ninth inning with the Mets up four runs and surrendered three hits, two earned runs, and a walk before closing out the game. Having not appeared in a game since, he will be placed on the IL retroactive to the following day of August 8.
It has not been a strong year in Queens for the eight-year MLB veteran, who holds a 4.66 ERA and 1.66 WHIP in his 42 games this season (38.2 innings pitched). The Mets plan to anchor this year's bullpen with offseason pickups in Williams and Luke Weaver has backfired, with Williams struggling before his injury and Weaver sent to Pittsburgh at the deadline.
In what has become a lost season, the silver-linings have come in the form of young players. With Williams out for multiple weeks and the rest of the bullpen thinned out by trades, this will be an opportunity for still emerging arms to make their mark with the big-league club and potentially a chance for someone to carve out a role as a closer.
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