The New York Mets are calling up right-handed reliever Dan Hammer ahead of Thursday’s series finale against the Kansas City Royals. The move gives the bullpen a fresh arm as the team grinds through a brutal stretch with no off days until the All-Star break.
Hammer, who turns 29 in a couple months, has been lights out this season across Double-A and Triple-A. In 27 appearances, he’s put up a 2.16 ERA and a 1.26 WHIP while striking out 38 batters over 33.1 innings. His work at Triple-A Syracuse has been especially sharp — a 1.77 ERA in 17 outings. That’ll play.
The 6-foot-2 right-hander was originally drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the 13th round of the 2019 draft out of the University of Pittsburgh. He spent six seasons bouncing between the Orioles and Tampa Bay Rays organizations before the Rays picked him in the 2025 Rule 5 Draft. He pitched at Double-A for Tampa Bay last season, then signed a minor league deal with the Mets ahead of the 2026 campaign.
What Hammer brings to the mound
Hammer has been missing bats at a high rate this year, fanning 26.4% of opposing hitters. But here’s the catch — he’s also walking nearly 15% of the batters he faces. That inconsistency has followed him through the minors. He leans on a four-seam fastball that sits 95-96 mph, mixes in a cutter around 90, and will occasionally drop a slider or curveball. The stuff is real. The command comes and goes.
MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo first reported the promotion. The Mets will need to clear a spot on both the active roster and the 40-man roster before first pitch. Hammer is expected to make his major league debut whenever he gets into a game.
The Mets have been cycling through middle relievers lately. Guillo Zuniga and Matt Seelinger both got called up and then designated for assignment shortly after. Xzavion Curry came up from Triple-A on Wednesday and threw one inning in New York’s 6-2 win over the Royals, allowing one run on 22 pitches. Curry’s recent workload might make him the odd man out when Hammer officially joins the roster Thursday.
Hammer has earned this shot. The question is whether he can throw strikes consistently enough to stick around.
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