Injuries & Moves: Mets sign three to Minors deals
This page will be updated throughout the offseason, with all the latest Mets signings, news and transactions.
LATEST NEWS
Dec. 20: C Chris Williams, RHP Oliver Ortega, LHP Anthony Gose signed to Minor League deals
The Mets made Minor League contracts official for Williams, Ortega and Gose, all of whom will be in Major League Spring Training.
Williams, 28, has spent his entire six-year career in the Twins organization but has yet to crack the Majors. He gives the Mets some additional catching depth behind Francisco Alvarez, Luis Torrens, Hayden Senger and Jakson Reetz. Williams also boasts a bit of power upside, with 66 homers over his last three seasons in the upper Minors.
Ortega and Gose add to the Mets' cache of pitching depth, which also includes a recent agreement with Luis Ortiz.
INJURY UPDATES
RHP Paul Blackburn (spinal fluid leak in mid-back)
Expected return: 2025
Blackburn was scheduled to rejoin the Mets' rotation on Sept. 9 in Toronto, but he felt something in his lower back after a rehab outing with Triple-A Syracuse on Sept. 3. That something turned out to be a spinal fluid leak, which prompted the Mets to shut Blackburn down on Sept. 14. He restarted a throwing program four days later, but he never returned and wound up undergoing surgery in early October.
The operation, which carries a typical recovery timeline of 4-5 months, had the potential to affect Blackburn's readiness for Opening Day. But he was recovering well as of a Dec. 9 update and should have what president of baseball operations David Stearns called "a relatively normal Spring Training." Blackburn figures to compete for a rotation job this spring, or at least serve as a high-level depth option. (Last updated: Dec. 9)
INF Ronny Mauricio (recovery from right knee surgery)
Expected return: 2025
Mauricio underwent arthroscopic surgery on Aug. 2 to remove scar tissue in his right knee, further complicating his difficult year. The 23-year-old had undergone a separate surgery in early January to repair a torn ACL in his right knee, which he injured during winter ball in the Dominican Republic. Initially, the Mets hoped Mauricio might return before the end of the regular season, but his second operation removed any possibility of that.
For now, the former top prospect's future remains in flux. Mauricio's recovery "has definitely gone a lot slower than we expected," Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns said in late October, but the infielder was doing better as of an early December update. Mauricio slashed .248/.296/.347 with six extra-base hits, nine RBIs and seven stolen bases over a 26-game stint with the big league club in 2023. He's barely been on a diamond since that time. (Last updated: Dec. 9)
RHP Dedniel NšČ?ez (strained right flexor tendon)
Expected return: Opening Day
The Mets shut NšČ?ez down for the season in mid-September after he received a platelet-rich plasma injection in his right flexor tendon, which had bothered him to varying extends since July. Initially, NšČ?ez missed a month due to a similar injury. He returned for a single outing on Aug. 24 before landing back on the IL.
Following a second opinion, NšČ?ez received his PRP shot on Sept. 13 in hopes of avoiding surgery, which he should be able to do. NšČ?ez intends to work out with Licey of the Dominican Winter League and could even appear in a game or two if he continues to progress well. In any event, he should have what president of baseball operations David Stearns called "a pretty normal offseason."
NšČ?ez was one of the Mets' best relievers when healthy, with a 2.31 ERA over 25 appearances. (Last updated: Nov. 22)
OF Tyrone Taylor (recovery from hernia and elbow surgeries)
Expected return: Opening Day
After the season, Taylor underwent both an umbilical hernia repair and a right elbow loose body removal operation. The Mets estimated the recovery time for those operations at around two months, which should have Taylor back to full strength well before the start of Spring Training. Assuming he's healthy, Taylor should reprise his role as the Mets' most-days center fielder. (Last updated: Nov. 18)
RHP Christian Scott (right elbow UCL sprain)
Expected return: 2026
Scott's promising rookie season came to a premature end in late September, when underwent a hybrid elbow surgery that combines a Tommy John ligament replacement with the insertion of an internal brace. Scott is likely to miss the entire 2025 season and be ready for Opening Day 2026. At that point, he will be closing in on his 27th birthday with nine career big league starts on his resume. The Mets are hopeful he can still be a significant part of their future, but that's now far down the road. (Last updated: Oct. 25)