Max

Kranick

The procedural move frees up a spot on Washington’s 40-man roster for newly acquired lefty Carson Palmquist. Kranick signed a one-year deal with a club option for 2027 earlier this month. He’s expected to be ready to contribute at some point later this season while working his way back from last year’s elbow surgery.

The deal is now official. Kranick will factor into Washington’s relief mix at some point later this season as he continues his rehabilitation process from last year’s elbow surgery. The 28-year-old was putting together an extremely encouraging Mets debut with a 3.65 ERA across 37 innings last year before requiring season-ending surgery.

The deal is pending a physical. The 28-year-old underwent flexor tendon surgery in August, but has been throwing for teams this spring. He posted a 3.65 ERA over 37 innings with the Mets last year and should provide depth in the Nationals’ bullpen.

The Kranick and Young moves, reported earlier today, are now official. Joining them is Castillo, who was briefly a Met during the season and rejoined the team after claimed off waivers from the Orioles earlier this month. He could stay with the club on a minor league deal.

The 28-year-old hurler underwent flexor tendon surgery in August and is expected to miss a large portion of the 2026 season. It’s quite possible that the Mets will still look to bring him back on a minor league deal as he recovers from the procedure.

It’s a significant development since the expectation after Kranick was transferred last week to the 60-day injured list was that he would require a full Tommy John surgery. The 28-year-old righty is going to miss a significant portion of next season, but he’ll have a much quicker return timeline following the less invasive procedure.

Kranick’s move to the 60-day list is simply a procedural one, as it clears a space on the 40-man roster for José Castillo. Kranick will miss the rest of 2025 and most of the 2026 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery last week.

It will unfortunately be the second time in three years that the 27-year-old hurler will require the procedure. He’ll miss the remainder of the 2025 season and the majority of the 2026 campaign as well while recovering from the procedure.

Kranick was diagnosed with a flexor strain in his right elbow back in late June and could be facing season-ending surgery. The 27-year-old reliever is facing an extended absence, even if he opts for the rest and rehabilitation route, but it sounds like surgery is on the table. It would be a significant loss for New York’s relief depth if he’s sidelined until the late stages of the 2026 season.

The good news is that the strain is considered “minor.” The bad news is it’s still a strain, and it’s likely that this injury will keep Kranick out of action until after the All-Star break at least.