New York Mets Designate Darin Ruf for Assignment

The Mets have designated Darin Ruf for assignment and will keep Tim Locastro on their bench.

Pat Ragazzo | Mar 27, 2023

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New York Mets

The Darin Ruf experiment has officially come to an end.

On Monday morning, the Mets announced that they've designated Ruf for assignment.

As a result, outfielder Tim Locastro has made the Mets and will get the final bench spot on the roster.

After acquiring Ruf from the San Francisco Giants at the trade deadline in exchange for four players, including J.D. Davis and Thomas Szapucki, the 36-year-old struggled immensely. In 28 games, Ruf slashed .152/.216/.197 with no home runs and three doubles.

In Spring Training, Ruf's struggles continued, as he batted under .200. He also dealt with wrist arthritis, which required a cortisone injection.

Ruf is owed $3 million in 2023, and if the Mets don't trade him they will be on the hook for his salary.

With Ruf out, the Mets need a right-handed DH that hits against left-handed pitching. The candidates could be Eduardo Escobar, which would mean Luis Guillorme plays third base against lefty pitching, or fourth outfielder Tommy Pham. Last season, Pham slashed .273/.338/.446 against southpaws.

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Published Mar 27, 2023

PAT RAGAZZO

Pat Ragazzo is the reporter, publisher, site manager and executive editor for Sports Illustrated's Mets and Yankees On SI websites. Pat was selected as The Top Reporter & Publisher of the Year 2024 by the International Association of Top Professionals (IAOTP) for outstanding leadership, dedication, and commitment to the industry. He has been seen on several major TV Network stations including: NBC4, CBS2, FOX5, PIX11 and NY1; and is frequently heard on ESPN New York FM 880 AM and WFAN Sports Radio 101.9 FM as a guest. Pat also serves as the Mets insider for the "Allow Me 2 Be Frank" podcast hosted by Frank "The Tank" Fleming of Barstool Sports. You can follow him on Twitter/X: @ragazzoreport.

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