For the sixth time this season, the Mets have optioned right-handed relief pitcher Greg Burke to the minors. This time, Burke was sent down to make room for Daisuke Matsuzaka, who the Mets signed to a major league deal earlier today.
Burke has thrown 29⅓ innings for the Mets across his various stints with the team, and he has a 4.91 ERA and 3.38 FIP. It's a large gap, but Burke has really struggled when it comes to stranding baserunners. His 57.2 percent strand rate is the third-lowest mark in baseball among relief pitchers with at least 20 innings pitched.
Burke's numbers in Vegas have been worse than his numbers in the big leagues, but that's not all that surprising given the extreme hitter's environment there. With his demotion, the Mets are back to carrying seven relief pitchers: David Aardsma, Scott Atchison, Pedro Feliciano, Gonzalez Germen, LaTroy Hawkins, Scott Rice, and Carlos Torres.