The New York Mets have optioned pitcher Jefry Yan to Triple-A Syracuse, a move interim manager Andy Green indicated was driven by the need for improved control. Yan, who was recalled in early August and demonstrated significant velocity with his fastball, had allowed at least a run in his last four appearances and issued 11 walks in 12 2/3 innings.
"It’s really tough to succeed at this level with around a 20 percent walk rate," Green stated. "It just isn’t a recipe for success." Yan, 30, spent time out of baseball from 2016-20, during which he worked as a roofer before returning to the sport. His major league stint concluded with a 5.68 ERA.
Despite the struggles, Green expressed confidence in Yan's potential. "We love who he is," Green said of Yan. "Love his enthusiasm, love having him in the clubhouse, love what he can do when he’s the best version of himself." Yan remains under team control for future seasons.
In other pitching news, Christian Scott delivered a strong performance, striking out seven batters over 4 2/3 innings. He allowed two runs in the fourth inning, with Jung Hoo Lee driving in runs on a bloop single. "I thought he was awesome today," Green said of Scott, who is being managed carefully in his first season post-Tommy John surgery. Scott's cutter showed improvement, notably striking out Rafael Devers twice.
Scott was removed from the game with runners on base in the fifth inning, at which point Nate Lavender entered the game. Lavender, who has yet to allow a run in his major league career, struck out Devers for a third time. "His fastball is proving to be relatively difficult to hit the first time you see it," Green remarked about Lavender.
Kodai Senga recorded his sixth save in as many opportunities with a clean ninth inning. Tobias Myers also made an appearance, striking out two batters in a scoreless eighth inning. Myers had recently returned from Triple-A Syracuse after a strong stretch, allowing two earned runs in 14 2/3 innings over his last six games. "I think we’ve seen a little bit of uptick in velo the last couple of times out," Green noted about Myers, indicating the team would monitor his performance in shorter bursts.
Infielder Jared Young was absent from the lineup partly due to facing a left-handed pitcher and partly because he was still experiencing discomfort after fouling a ball off his foot. Gary Gill Hill, acquired from the Rays, was promoted to Syracuse from Double-A Binghamton. Hill had posted a 3.76 ERA with 28 strikeouts and five walks in 26 1/3 innings over five starts for Binghamton.