Drew

Smith

The Mets had a $2 million mutual option for the 32-year-old reliever, but declined their side of it. Smith missed this entire season while rehabbing from Tommy John surgery; however, he should be healthy next season and could be of interest to a few teams.

Smith has expressed optimism that he’ll make it back to New York’s bullpen at some point later this season. The 31-year-old is making his way back from last year’s Tommy John procedure. It sounds like there’s a chance he’s back before the regular season wraps up.

The 31-year-old hurler is still in the process of recovery from his Tommy John surgery and isn’t expected to be an option to join the Mets’ bullpen until the middle of the summer. The move will free up a spot on the club’s 40-man roster for the time being.

Smith will get a one-year deal that includes a club option for 2026. The right-hander underwent Tommy John surgery in July, and he isn’t expected to be ready to return until the middle of the summer at the very earliest. Once healthy, he’ll be a mid-inning option for the New York bullpen.

Smith will miss the remainder of the season and is slated to become a free agent this upcoming offseason. The 30-year-old righty has been a central component of New York’s high-leverage mix for the past couple seasons. There’s definitely going to be some interest out there once he reaches free agency, but he might have to settle for more of a short-term deal to rebuild his value. He’s facing a 12-18 month recovery timetable, which likely means he won’t return until the late stages of the 2025 campaign, even in a best-case scenario.

That’s a really tough break for a middle reliever/setup man who might have been in line for a multiyear deal as a free agent this winter. Smith had a 3.06 ERA in 17 2/3 innings for the Mets this season.

No word yet on exactly what was found in Smith’s MRI exam, but he’s going to miss a minimum of a couple of weeks — and likely longer. Ty Adcock was recalled from Triple-A Syracuse in a corresponding move on Wednesday to take Smith’s place in the Mets’ bullpen.

Mets’ skipper Carlos Mendoza said Wednesday that Smith felt tightness in his forearm after his last outing, so they’ll get some imaging done to see exactly what’s going on there. It’s unclear whether or not they’ll place him on the injured list and make a roster move prior to Wednesday’s game, but it not they’ll be two-men down in their bullpen with Edwin Diaz currently serving his suspension.

Smith came in to clean up the mess of Reed Garrett, and it ultimately worked out. It didn’t look like that was going to be the case, as he walked in a run — charged to Garrett — before getting Nick Castellanos to hit into the rare 2-3 double play. Smith has his second save of the season and is likely looking at more chances over the next few weeks with Edwin Diaz unavailable.

Smith has been out of action since near the end of April while dealing with inflammation in his right shoulder. The 30-year-old should work in high-leverage now that he’s back with the Mets. The Mets optioned Josh Walker back to Triple-A Syracuse to make room for Smith on the roster.