With lefties Josh Edgin and Dana Eveland having been added to the bullpen in the last month, Rice is shipped to the minors to work the kinks out.
After tonight's 6-2 win over the Brewers, the Mets activated right-handed reliever Gonzalez Germen from the disabled list and optioned left-handed reliever Scott Rice to Triple-A Las Vegas.
Germen had been on the DL since May 13 (retroactive to May 6) with a virus. He made one rehab appearance with the St. Lucie Mets on May 16, then was shelved again until he returned to St. Lucie on June 2. In six rehab appearances since then, Germen has allowed no runs while striking out eight and walking three in 5⅓ innings. Before going on the disabled list, he had been one of the Mets' only dependable relievers, striking out seventeen and walking five in 17⅔ innings.
Rice, who had been the lone lefty in the Mets' bullpen until Josh Edgin's recall in mid-May and Dana Eveland's rescue from obscurity on June 1, has been ineffective this season despite a surprisingly useful 2013 run with the big club. Rice has struck out thirteen batters and walked twelve in 13⅔ innings this year, and will head to Vegas to work out some issues:
“I’m obviously not happy. But I understand their decision. I wasn’t getting the job done so they had to make a move. . . I’ll go to Vegas and work my butt off to get back here.”
Edgin and Eveland have both been solid in limited work so far, so if they keep that up Rice will be given plenty of time to figure out what's ailing him.