Inside The Mets

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza explains decision to leave in David Peterson

Mets starter David Peterson showed visible discomfort in the fifth inning but remained in the game for a few extra batters.

John Sparaco

Apr 6, 2025; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher David Peterson (23) is taken out of the game in the fifth inning by manager Carlos Mendoza (64) against the Toronto Blue Jays at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
Apr 6, 2025; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher David Peterson (23) is taken out of the game in the fifth inning by manager Carlos Mendoza (64) against the Toronto Blue Jays at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
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Strong pitching paved the way for the New York Mets on Sunday as they completed a three-game sweep of the Toronto Blue Jays. While the bullpen was the highlight, their starter, David Peterson, saw his outing end on a strange note. 

After issuing a two-out walk to All-Star slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the fifth, the 6-foot-6 left-hander walked gingerly to the back of the mound and hunched over.

Mets pitching coach Jeremy Hefner, who was on his way to make a mound visit, noticed Peterson's distress and waved over the Mets' trainers. Following a brief consultation with manager Carlos Mendoza, Peterson remained in the game.

Peterson’s next pitch was an 85.7-mph four-seamer—well below his average velocity of 93 mph—that was fouled off. Anthony Santander took the next four pitches high and away for a walk, which loaded the bases and drew Hefner back to the mound. Yet, Peterson was kept in. 

He proceeded to plunk Andrés Giménez with his next pitch, bringing in a run. That prompted Mendoza to finally make the call to the bullpen. 

When asked about Peterson after the game, Mendoza clarified that the southpaw’s visible discomfort was not due to an injury, but rather nausea.

“We went out there, and he said he felt like he got punched in the stomach. He had a little bit of blurry vision… that was it. Physically, he’s fine,” Mendoza said. He explained that going into the game, the Mets knew they were short in the bullpen and felt they needed Peterson to throw 90 to 95 pitches to get through it.

Since he was not injured, Mendoza hoped to get him through Giménez and close out the frame. Ultimately, Peterson was unable to do so and exited with 91 pitches. Over 4.2 innings, he threw 53 strikes, allowed one run on three hits and five walks, and totaled three strikeouts. 

The Mets’ bullpen held strong the rest of the way. Right-hander Max Kranick, who inherited a bases-loaded jam in the fifth, induced an inning-ending popout and tossed 1.1 scoreless frames. He was followed by Reed Garrett, A.J. Minter, and Edwin Díaz, who put up zeroes during the seventh, eighth, and ninth to close out the 2-1 victory. 

Kranick was credited with the win—his first in the big leagues since 2021. He has retired all but one of the 22 batters he has faced so far this season and has yet to allow a run. As a unit, New York’s bullpen currently ranks first in MLB with a 1.29 ERA. 

Read More: New York Mets injury updates: Dedniel Núñez, Luis Torrens

The Mets (6-3) will aim to add to their four-game winning streak on Monday as they host the Miami Marlins (5-4) for another three-game series. New York took two out of three on the road during their first meeting with the Marlins last week. 

Kodai Senga is currently scheduled to take the mound for the Mets in Game 1, which will be his second start of the new campaign. Injuries limited him to just one regular-season start in 2024.

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John Sparaco
JOHN SPARACO

John Sparaco is a contributing writer for the Mets website On SI. He has previously written for Cold Front Report, Times Union and JKR Baseball, where he profiled some of the top recruits, college players and draft prospects in baseball. You can follow him on Twitter/X: @JohnSparaco

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