It feels like only yesterday the name Nate Lavender was the latest New York Mets prospect many had penciled in for some relief innings. After 7 innings for Syracuse in 2024, he followed a similar pattern as big league southpaw Brooks Raley who went down with Tommy John surgery early. The Mets left him unprotected in December’s Rule 5 Draft, losing him to the Tampa Bay Rays who stashed him on the 60-day IL for a year.
A bone spur removed from his left elbow in August added to the growing list of injuries. The road to recovery only got worse and rather than invest any more time in him, the Rays have sent Lavender back to the Mets.