Mets call up fan favorite to add bullpen depth

The New York Mets called up fan favorite Tommy Hunter, who was dealing in Syracuse, to help out in the bullpen.

Hunter was a fan favorite at times last season, and signed a minor-league contract to return to the Mets earlier this year. In Syracuse, he got off to a rough start, and his overall ERA was 4+ before his call-up.

However, those overall numbers don’t tell the entire story.

In his last five appearances, Hunter had 14 strikeouts against one walk, with a 2.08 ERA. Those numbers, of course, suggest that Hunter has readjusted to MLB-ready hitters, and can potentially contribute to the bullpen if given an opportunity.

That opportunity came on Thursday, when the Mets called Hunter back up to the bigs.

New York still has to make a corresponding roster move, as Hunter was not on the 40-man roster prior to his call-up.

Mets: Tommy Hunter helps add pitching depth

Last season, Hunter had a memorable tenure in Queens. This included a pitching appearance where he threw eight scoreless innings, and recorded his first career hit on the road at Truist Park.

While it’s unknown exactly what role Hunter will play this time around as a Met, New York is lacking starting pitching depth at the moment, with Max Scherzer and Jacob deGrom on the mend. Considering his starting experience, Hunter makes sense either to fill the rotation void, or as a long reliever.