Tyler Bashlor called up to Mets as they add another arm to bullpen
Mets pitcher Tyler Bashlor throws during a spring training game against the Braves on Feb. 23 in Port St. Lucie, Florida. Credit: Newsday / Alejandra Villa
Tyler Bashlor had to call his father eight times to tell him the news. He reached him eventually — he was outside mowing the lawn — but even if he hadn’t, his dad Steve would have probably figured it out when he saw his son wearing a Mets uniform Monday.
Bashlor, 25, was expecting to be called up to Triple-A, but instead the reliever, who was 0-3 with seven saves as a 2.63 ERA with Double-A Binghamton, got called up to the big club Monday after the Mets exhausted much of their bullpen over the weekend. Chris Flexen was optioned to Las Vegas to make room on the roster.
“I think that he has a plus-slider,” Mickey Callaway said of Bashlor. “I think he’s got some extra life to his fastball. I wouldn’t say there’s a certain spot that we would use him in or not use him in at this point. Our bullpen is such right now that we’re going to need innings from everybody that’s available probably to get through games at this point . . . I love his stuff. I love his competitiveness. He’s an athlete out there and he definitely flashes plus-stuff.”
Bashlor looked sharp, despite any nerves, but made one big mistake in the sixth — an up-and-in fastball to Josh Bell that he hit just fair to left field for a two-run shot. he allowed just that one hit over two innings, with a walk and no strikeouts.
Bashlor, who was given No. 49, said members of his family all flew in to potentially watch his major-league debut. In 117 minor-league appearances, he’s 7-9 with 23 saves and a 3.29 ERA.
He said that recently, he’s “just going back to being myself — just letting it go, every pitch — and not trying to . . . just being 100 percent every pitch and throwing every pitch with conviction.”
Extra bases
Todd Frazier and Wilmer Flores did not start Monday in what was a rest day . . . Before the game, Steven Matz was honored as a finalist for the Bob Feller Act of Valor award for his work honoring the military and members of the NYPD and FDNY through his Tru-23 program.
Laura Albanese is a reporter, feature writer and columnist covering local professional sports teams; she began at Newsday in 2007 as an intern.
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