Mets Sign LHP Richard Lovelady, Demote Luisangel Acuña
Updated Post: June 23. at 2:53 pm
The Mets made a flurry of roster moves before Monday’s contest with the Atlanta Braves. In addition to announcing the signing of LHP Richard Lovelady, the team also selected the contract of OF Travis Jankowski. In coordinating moves, the team optioned RHP Tyler Zuber and, more notably, INF Luisangel Acuña to Syracuse. The team also transferred OF Jose Siri to the 60-day IL to make room for Jankowski on the 40-man roster.
2025 will be Jankowski’s second cup of coffee in Queens. The outfielder was part of their 2022 squad for a short time, appearing in 43 games. He hit .167/.286/.167/.453 in that period but was mostly used as a defensive replacement late in games or as a pinch runner. In Triple-A Syracuse, Jankowski was hitting .200/.263/.286/.549 with two stolen bases in eight games. He’ll take Acuña’s spot late in games as a pinch runner likely.
Acuña started the 2025 season strong, hitting .308/.357/.385 in his first month and winning NL Rookie of the Month. However, after April, his number significantly tailed off. Between May 1 and June 22, he hit only .194/.244/.208 with a 31 wRC+.
After losing eight of their last nine, a roster shakeup might be what the doctor ordered to get the Mets back on track.
Original Post: Jun 23. at 1:46 pm
The Mets have signed lefty reliever Richard Lovelady to a major league contract, according to Robert Murray of FanSided. Lovelady pitched in two games for the Blue Jays earlier this season and recently opted out of a minor league contract with the Twins.
In 19 games with the Twins’ Triple-A affiliate, Lovelady posted a 1.31 ERA across 20.2 innings. He struck out 22, walking only seven and allowed just two home runs.
Lovelady has a career 5.26 ERA over six seasons. The Mets will be his sixth team in the majors, with the lefty having pitched for the Royals, A’s, Cubs, Rays and Jays.
Lovelady has a fastball and slider, throwing both a four-seamer and sinker dialing in the low 90s and a slider/sweeper combination. While he may not light up the radar gun, he has been in the 95th percentile or higher in extension all four years he has qualified, so he makes up for it in perceived velocity.
The Mets’ pitching staff as a whole is taking a beating. The team has given up an average of nearly seven runs per game over their last nine, during a stretch in which the team lost eight of those contests. New York is also in the middle of playing on 13 straight days, and manager Carlos Mendoza vocalized the issue after Sunday’s series finale against the Phillies.
“I feel like the concern now is more like the state of the bullpen and how much we’ve used those guys,” Mendoza said.
Lovelady will join the bullpen sometime this week.
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