After the Mets lost their first closer, Edwin Diaz, to injury during the spring, they lost his replacement, David Robertson, to a trade Thursday night.
With Robertson now trying to make the postseason in Miami, manager Buck Showalter said the Mets won’t rush back Diaz, who is rehabbing from the torn right patellar tendon he suffered while celebrating a victory during the World Baseball Classic.
Showalter, when asked if the potential need for a closer late in the season might impact Diaz’s return, said: “It shouldn’t. It won’t. It’s gonna be a medical [decision].’’
Diaz has said he hopes to return this season and Showalter acknowledged “there are some positives to him pitching” this season, but he added “it won’t be because we need a closer or we’re back in it to get in the playoffs. This is not something you experiment with.”
Showalter added that Diaz is “beating all the benchmarks” in his recovery and didn’t rule out a 2023 return.
“I don’t want to paint anything about Edwin that [a return] is imminent,’’ said Showalter, adding that even getting back on a mound was not in the “near future” for Diaz and the Robertson move “is not gonna change the timeline.”
In the meantime, Showalter said he would not “anoint a closer.” in Robertson’s absence.
Instead, the Mets will use different matchups, as they did Thursday in a win over Washington, when Robertson was on the verge of being shipped to the Marlins. Showalter went to Brooks Raley, who picked up the save with a scoreless ninth inning.
Everything to know about the Mets' historic sell-off
After a disappointing season, the Mets are selling off their historically expensive roster.
The Amazins dealt out some big name players before the MLB trade deadline — including now-former co-aces Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer.
Below are the players the Mets have shipped out:
Tommy Pham
The Mets traded the outfielder minutes before the 6 p.m. deadline to the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Arizona is sending back 17-year shortstop Jeremy Rodriguez, who has a .751 OPS rookie ball this season.
Justin Verlander
The Mets traded out Verlander, a sure-fire Hall of Fame pitcher, back to his former team, the Houston Astros.
The Amazins reportedly will receive top Astros prospect Drew Gilbert, a Double-A outfielder, and 20-year-old outfielder Ryan Clifford, who owns a .919 OPS through 83 games in Low- and High-A this year.
Max Scherzer
Scherzer, a three-time Cy Young winner that was a co-ace with Verlander, was sold off to the Texas Rangers.
The Mets landed one of the Rangers’ top prospects, Double-A infielder Luisangel Acuña, brother of Braves star Ronald Acuña.
Mark Canha
The veteran outfielder was dealt to the Brewers for Justin Jarvis, a promising 23-year-old pitcher that was ranked No. 12 in the Brewers’ farm system.
David Robertson
The Mets traded closer David Robertson to the Miami Marlins, a move that started off the club’s deadline dismantle.
In exchange for Robertson, who is having another terrific season, the Mets received a pair of minor leaguers, infielder Marco Vargas and catcher Ronald Hernandez, from Miami.
Raley is another reliever who could be traded by the deadline this coming Tuesday, but if he remains with the Mets, he would likely get some opportunities to finish games, as will Adam Ottavino.
Ottavino pitched a scoreless eighth inning Friday in the Mets’ 5-1 win, with Raley closing it in the ninth for his second straight save.
To replace Robertson on the roster, the Mets recalled right-hander Reed Garrett from Triple-A Syracuse.
The Mets claimed the 30-year-old Garrett off waivers from Baltimore last month. He has been inconsistent with Syracuse after pitching well with the Orioles’ Triple-A Norfolk affiliate. Garrett made two appearances with Baltimore earlier this year.
They will also likely learn more about young relievers like Grant Hartwig, who could pitch himself into higher-leverage situations.
Jeff McNeil had three hits on Friday and now has hit safely in six of his last seven games.
In that stretch, he is batting .370 (10-for-27) with five RBI and four runs scored.
The 2022 National League batting champion is at least showing signs of busting out of his season-long funk, even if he is on pace to finish with the worst OPS of his career (he’s currently at .659.
His previous low was .674 in 2021, when he hit only .249, similar to his .255 batting average after the Mets’ win Friday.
Among the reasons the Mets are looking to sell at the deadline is the regression of Carlos Carrasco from last year.
The right-hander, who will start on Saturday, is coming off consecutive poor outings, having allowed nine earned runs in seven innings over the two outings.
Carrasco’s strikeout rate has plummeted and his walk rate has jumped, which has led to many of his problems.
His 5.82 ERA would be the fourth-worst in the majors if he’d thrown enough innings to qualify.
There’s no room on the roster in Queens for Luke Voit at the moment, but the former Yankees first baseman homered for a sixth straight game for Triple-A Syracuse on Friday night.
— With Zach Braziller
