NEW YORK — Rookie infielder Luisangel Acuña was sent to the minors by the slumping New York Mets amid several roster moves.
New York also signed left-handed reliever Richard Lovelady to a one-year deal and selected the contract of outfielder Travis Jankowski from Triple-A Syracuse. Both were available for the opener of a four-game series against Atlanta.
Acuña, the younger brother of Braves star Ronald Acuña Jr., was optioned to Syracuse along with right-handed reliever Tyler Zuber following a 7-1 loss at Philadelphia.
Before that game, the Mets demoted another touted youngster to Syracuse: catcher Francisco Alvarez.
New York has lost nine of 10, falling 1.5 games behind the first-place Phillies in the NL East.
Acuña, acquired from Texas in 2023 for three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer, has scuffled lately at the plate after hitting .308 with six steals to earn NL rookie of the month honors for March/April. The 23-year-old has slumped to a .241 batting average and largely been relegated to pinch running and defensive-replacement duties. He is expected to receive regular playing time at Syracuse.
In other news, ace pitcher Kodai Senga, speaking through a translator, told reporters his injured right hamstring feels “great” and he hopes to throw off a mound soon. Senga, injured covering first base June 12 against Washington, believes a rehab assignment is “on the horizon.”
“The good thing is that he kept throwing, even right after the injury, so he was able to keep the arm going,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. “I was told that he was going to play catch off the mound. Not necessarily a bullpen, but he’s already getting on the mound and letting the ball go with some type of intensity. That’s a really good sign.”
After being limited to one start during the 2024 regular season because of shoulder and calf injuries, Senga was brilliant in his first 13 starts this year, going 7-3 with a 1.47 ERA.
“I feel great and I am recovering really well,” he said. “I want to take it day by day. Maybe some days I can push it a little bit further, while some days I need to take it a step back and take it easy. So those are the types of conversations I’m having every day and those are very helpful.”
Jankowski signed a minor league contract with New York on June 10. He is playing on his third major league team in 2025, after spending time with the Chicago White Sox and Tampa Bay Rays. He received a spring training invite from the Chicago Cubs but was released on March 12.
Jankowski appeared in 43 games for the Mets in 2022. He played college ball at Stony Brook University, located on Long Island less than 40 miles from Citi Field.
Lovelady had been pitching at Triple-A St. Paul in the Minnesota Twins organization before getting released. The 29-year-old reliever had a 1.31 ERA in 19 outings.
Lovelady made two appearances for Toronto in March and also has pitched for the Royals, Rays, Athletics and Cubs during a six-year career. He is 5-13 with a 5.26 ERA and three saves in 110 games, holding left-handed hitters to a .232 batting average.
“Lefty, kind of the low slot, the sinker, the slider, and now he’s got a sweeper, too,” Mendoza said. “He’s just another weapon for the bullpen that we can use to mix and match.”
Right-hander Frankie Montas is expected to be reinstated from the 60-day injured list to make his Mets debut. Montas, signed to a two-year, $34 million contract in December, has been sidelined since spring training with a right lat strain.
“He’s a guy, when we signed him in the offseason, that was going to be a big part of this rotation,” Mendoza said. “I’ve seen him pitch for a lot of years at this level and have success. … The expectation is to go out there, compete and give us a chance to win a baseball game every time he takes the ball, starting tomorrow.”
In another roster move, outfielder Jose Siri (left tibia fracture) was transferred to the 60-day IL.
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