The Mets claimed pitcher Heath Hembree off waivers on Friday, the team announced, and In a corresponding move, they transferred ace Jacob deGrom to the 60-day IL.
According to the Mets, the “status and timeline remain unchanged” for deGrom, whose shutdown for elbow inflammation will continue into next week. He’s now eligible to return from the IL on Sept. 13.
Hembree was designated for assignment on Wednesday by the Reds after a catastrophic outing against the Cubs, where he allowed five earned runs in just two-thirds of an inning. He had been struggling leading up to that, allowing 13 total runs in seven total innings pitched since July 26.
His ERA stands at 6.38 in 2021, after 45 appearances for Cincinnati.
The Mets’ bullpen has been taxed throughout the year, and many who were pitching well have struggled during the team’s recent slump. Pitchers such as Jeurys Familia and Miguel Castro have come back down to earth recently after strong starts as the innings have piled up.
It may be a stretch to get important innings out of Hembree, as his ERA was 9.00 in 2020 before his 2021 struggles. However, he was effective before that with the Red Sox, finishing with a 3.86 ERA in 2019 with a K/9 of 10.4.
In order to make room for Hembree, they had to move deGrom to the 60-Day Injured List.