It might be hard to make a living as a major league bench warmer. Ask Yohan Ramirez, please.
He was traded to the New York Mets three months ago. After a late slip in the first game, he threw behind Rhys Hoskins to defend a teammate eight days prior, for which he was suspended. He took the brunt of an overworked bullpen on Saturday.
The Mets recalled Cole Sulser and designated Ramirez for assignment on Monday. Monday night marks the start of the Mets series versus the Atlanta Braves.
With an 11.81 ERA over 5 1/3 innings, Ramirez’s career with the Mets is most certainly done. It paints a dark picture of a moment when the baseball gods were not on Ramirez’s side.
After being dealt for cash in December by the Chicago White Sox to the Mets, Ramirez was awarded a bullpen job. On March 30, he struck out the Milwaukee Brewers to begin his Mets career. The next day, he threw behind Hoskins, who had slipped hard and late in second baseman Jeff McNeil’s eyes. After being ejected from the game and handed a three-game suspension, Ramirez filed an appeal on March 31 after only pitching three innings (allowing two walks, two hits, two strikeouts, and two earned runs). The period of suspension was lowered to two games.
On April 6, the 28-year-old’s subsequent outing did not go well. Manager Carlos Mendoza made Ramirez pitch two innings since his bullpen was overworked and hindering him. With the Mets up 5-4, Ramirez retired three batters in a row in the seventh inning. But by the conclusion of the eighth inning, Ramirez had given up five earned runs on four hits—two walks, a home run, and three strikeouts—and the Mets were behind 9-5. He hurled 53 pitches.
Ramirez does not have minor league options. He has pitched in the major leagues for five different teams. The Mets are given one week to either trade him or place him on waivers.
After a stellar spring training in which he gave up just one hit and struck out ten in six innings, Sulser, 34, pitched one inning in Triple-A.