A key part of the Mets' bullpen may not be available for tonight's game
Mets reliever Carlos Torres is dealing with an upper lat issue, according to Adam Rubin of ESPN Mets Blog.
The heavily used reliever was unavailable to pitch in the series opener against the Miami Marlins yesterday. His availability for today's game is also in question.
Manager Terry Collins said,
You can call it a cramp, whatever it is, but it was bothering him. And, as you know, you've got to be careful with that stuff.
This doesn't come as a surprise considering Torres's workload so far this season. The 31-year-old has pitched in 16 of the Mets' 31 games, logging 17⅔ innings. He is on pace for 84 appearances and 92 innings pitched.
Torres has been one of the few reliable arms amid the uncertainty of the Mets' bullpen this year, sporting a 2.55 ERA and a 20-to-7 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Given how ineffective most of the Mets' relievers have been this year, let's hope this doesn't turn out to be a long-term issue.