NEW YORK (AP) — Desperate for help in a failing bullpen, the New York Mets acquired reliever Brooks Pounders from the Cleveland Indians for cash on Saturday.Pounders, who had been pitching at Triple-A Columbus, was immediately added to the major league roster. The Mets (33-36) also recalled right-hander Chris Flexen from Triple-A Syracuse and put him in the bullpen against St. Louis as well.Right-hander Tim Peterson was optioned to Syracuse, and veteran lefty Hector Santiago was designated for assignment.In other news, the Mets signed first-round draft pick Brett Baty, a 19-year-old third baseman out of Lake Travis High School in Texas. He received a $3.9 million bonus, below the slot value of $4,366,400 for being the 12th overall selection.New York began the night 16 for 32 in save chances, the most blown saves in the majors. The bullpen's 5.23 ERA ranked 25th out of 30 teams, and the struggling relief corps was 1-6 with a 9.28 ERA in 16 games since May 27.Dating to May 21, the Mets had... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Desperate for help in a failing bullpen, the New York Mets have acquired reliever Brooks Pounders from the Cleveland Indians for cash.Pounders, who had been pitching at Triple-A Columbus, was immediately added to the major league roster for Saturday night's game against St. Louis. The Mets also recalled right-hander Chris Flexen from Triple-A Syracuse and put him in the bullpen as well.Right-hander Tim Peterson was optioned to Syracuse, and veteran lefty Hector Santiago was designated for assignment.In other news, the Mets signed first-round draft pick Brett Baty, a 19-year-old third baseman out of Lake Travis High School in Texas.Baty, the 12th overall selection, took batting practice at Citi Field, showing off his impressive left-handed power, and was formally introduced at a news conference. He received a $3.9 million bonus, below the slot value of $4,366,400.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

NEW YORK (AP) — Robinson Canó is right back on the injured list.Four days after returning to the lineup, the slumping second baseman was placed on the 10-day IL by the New York Mets again Sunday with tightness in his left quadriceps. The move is retroactive to Thursday, after Canó aggravated the injury Wednesday night in his first game since May 22.Canó sat out the next three days while the Mets tried to determine whether he needed another stint on the injured list."When you have an active guy and you start him, you want him to be able to go nine innings. I don't think at this point we were confident that that could happen safely without putting him at any kind of risk," manager Mickey Callaway said. "So we feel like a rehab assignment probably will be the best thing, and a progression throughout that rehab assignment to get him to where he needs to be. He could have probably pinch-hit, but we don't need Robbie to be just a pinch-hitter, we need him to be a starter and go out there and... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Robinson Canó is right back on the injured list.Four days after returning to the lineup, the second baseman was placed on the 10-day IL again by the New York Mets with tightness in his left quadriceps. The move was made Sunday, retroactive to Thursday, after Canó aggravated the injury Wednesday night in his first game since May 22.The eight-time All-Star says he feels good but agrees with the team's decision because he's had only two at-bats in 2½ weeks and wants to be able to play a full game and contribute offensively as soon as he comes back. The 36-year-old Canó says he's scheduled to begin a rehab assignment Tuesday with Triple-A Syracuse or Double-A Binghamton.The move means Canó will miss two Subway Series games against his former team at Yankee Stadium this week.To replace him on the roster, New York selected the contract of right-handed reliever Tim Peterson from Syracuse.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

SAN DIEGO (AP) — With two starters ailing, the New York Mets made a flurry of moves Monday to replenish their banged-up pitching staff.First, the team obtained right-hander Wilmer Font from the Tampa Bay Rays for a player to be named or cash. Hours later, the Mets placed left-hander Jason Vargas on the 10-day injured list with a left hamstring injury and recalled right-hander Corey Oswalt from Triple-A Syracuse.New York also activated lefty reliever Justin Wilson from the 10-day IL and optioned right-hander Tim Peterson to Syracuse. Two relievers remain on the injured list: Jeurys Familia with a sore shoulder, and Luis Avila?n with a tender elbow.The moves came before the Mets opened a three-game series against the Padres.In addition, manager Mickey Callaway said starter Steven Matz had an injection of cortisone and lidocaine after being sent back to New York to have a forearm nerve issue examined. Matz won't be able to throw for a few days and the left-hander will rejoin the club when... [More]

SAN DIEGO (AP) — With two starters ailing, the New York Mets have made a flurry of moves to replenish their banged-up pitching staff.The team obtained right-hander Wilmer Font from the Tampa Bay Rays for a player to be named or cash Monday. Hours later, the Mets placed left-hander Jason Vargas on the 10-day injured list with a left hamstring injury and recalled right-hander Corey Oswalt from Triple-A Syracuse.New York also activated lefty reliever Justin Wilson from the 10-day IL and optioned right-hander Tim Peterson to Syracuse.The moves came before the Mets opened a three-game series against the San Diego Padres.In addition, manager Mickey Callaway says starter Steven Matz had an injection of cortisone and lidocaine after being sent back to New York to have a forearm nerve issue examined. Matz won't be able to throw for a few days and the left-hander will rejoin the club when it returns home later this week following the series in San Diego.Callaway says the team will wait before deciding whether to put Matz on the injured list.___More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

NEW YORK (AP) — Without much time to rest up for their home opener, the New York Mets were no match for Stephen Strasburg.A pinpoint Strasburg outpitched Noah Syndergaard, rookie Victor Robles homered for Washington's only hit until the ninth inning and the Nationals beat the drowsy Mets 4-0 on Thursday."Just executing the game plan. I think the biggest thing is never taking a pitch off," Strasburg said.Following a 5-1 trip to start the season, the Mets got back to New York after 2 a.m. in the wake of a 6-4 victory at Miami. They were even held up about 30-45 minutes postgame Wednesday night while Dominic Smith chugged enough water to be able to complete a drug test.But about 11 hours after arriving in Queens in the middle of the night, they were back on the field again — and their lineup looked sleepy while striking out 14 times."I don't think we were in the proper situation to win a ballgame based on the rest of the guys' sleep and travel," said Syndergaard, who traveled to New York ahead... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Stephen Strasburg outpitched Noah Syndergaard, rookie Victor Robles homered for Washington's only hit until the ninth inning and the Nationals beat the drowsy Mets 4-0 to spoil New York's home opener Thursday.Wilmer Difo drove in two runs, and Washington's struggling bullpen shined after Strasburg (1-0) struck out nine in 6 2/3 innings. Matched against Syndergaard for the second time in six days, Strasburg took a one-hitter into the seventh before giving up consecutive singles with two outs.Matt Grace threw a called third strike past pinch-hitter J.D. Davis, then Justin Miller and Tony Sipp combined to whiff three in a hitless eighth. Sean Doolittle completed the four-hitter, making Strasburg 8-1 with a 2.14 ERA in 11 starts at Citi Field.Coming in, Washington relievers ranked last in the majors with an 11.02 ERA, and opponents were batting .377 against them. But a week after getting shut out in their home opener by Jacob deGrom and the Mets, the Nationals turned the tables.The... [More]

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (AP) — New York Mets pitcher Noah Syndergaard tuned up for the regular season with a couple fastballs — at his own organization.Syndergaard questioned the Mets' treatment of ace Jacob deGrom and the organization's upcoming travel plans after he made his final appearance of spring training on Sunday.The 30-year-old deGrom is hoping for a new contract before opening day after he won the NL Cy Young Award last season. But he sounded pessimistic about the possibility after he worked three perfect innings in his final spring outing on Saturday."I think Jake's the best pitcher in baseball right now," Syndergaard said. "I think he deserves whatever amount he's worth. I want to keep him happy so when it does come time for him to reach free agency he stays on our side pitching for the Mets."I think they should just quit all this fuss and pay the man already."DeGrom went 10-9 with a sparkling 1.70 ERA in 32 starts last year. Aces Chris Sale and Justin Verlander and sluggers Mike... [More]

NEW YORK (AP) — Mets captain David Wright believes he will return to the New York Mets this season.The 35-year-old third baseman participated in a simulated game before Saturday's game against the Philadelphia Phillies. He faced Anthony Swarzak and Tim Peterson and hit an opposite-field homer to right-center off Peterson for his only hit.Wright has not played in a major league game since May 27, 2016, because of neck, back and shoulder injuries that required surgery."I think so," Wright said when asked if he thought the Mets would clear him to play this year. "The communication has been fantastic."Wright hit .171 with two RBIs in 41 at-bats during 12 games of a minor league injury rehabilitation assignment from Aug. 12-29."Where he got to at the end of the 20 days was not where we thought he needed to be," Mets assistant general manager John Ricco said Friday. "Honestly, it does get more difficult to foresee a situation where he could come back to that level."Wright intends to have another... [More]