New York Mets DVOA, Stats, & MLB Rankings

New York Mets right-hander Paul Blackburn (knee) will start the 2025 season on the 15-day injured list with right-knee inflammation, according to New York Daily News' Abbey Mastracco. The Mets acquired Blackburn from the Athletics in a trade last year, but he made only five starts in New York before being shut down with a back injury that required surgery. The 31-year-old veteran's back is fine, but now he's dealing with a knee injury and isn't ready for Opening Day. The good news is that he's expected to be back before the end of April, but Blackburn will likely be relegated to a long-relief role out of the bullpen, leaving him virtually zero fantasy appeal. Blackburn also dealt with foot and hand injuries in 2024 and made just 14 starts combined, going 5-4 with a 4.66 ERA and 1.29 WHIP with 59 strikeouts and 21 walks in 75 1/3 innings. He's off the fantasy radar in most leagues.

New York Mets infielder Brett Baty has made the team's Opening Day roster, according to the New York Daily News' Abbey Mastracco. The 25-year-old former top prospect made it a no-brainer move for the Mets to carry him on the big-league roster to open the year after he hit .353 (18-for-51) with four home runs, six doubles, a triple, 11 RBI and a stolen base in 20 Grapefruit League games. Mark Vientos is locked in at third base after his breakout season in 2024, but with Jeff McNeil (oblique) opening the season on the injured list, Baty is in line to be in the strong side of a platoon at second base with Luisangel Acuna. If Baty continues to hit well in the early going, the Mets could have a decision on their hands when McNeil is ready to return. So far, Baty has struggled offensively in 169 big-league games, slashing .215/.282/.325 with a .607 OPS, 15 homers and 55 RBI.

New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez (hand) had the stitches removed from his surgically-repaired left hand on Monday, and he will begin working on strength and ramping up baseball activities, according to manager Carlos Mendoza. When Alvarez initially suffered his hand injury, he was given a timetable of six to eight weeks. It means that barring any setbacks once he begins swinging the bat full speed, the 23-year-old backstop has a chance to come off the injured list to make his 2025 debut before the end of April. Until that comes to pass, Luis Torrens will serve as the Mets' starting catcher, with Hayden Senger winning the backup job out of spring training. Alvarez's hand injury limited him to 100 regular-season games in 2024, but he deserves to be stashed in all fantasy leagues after he hit 25 home runs in his first full big-league season in 2023.

New York Mets right-hander Dedniel Nunez (forearm), who was one of the team's best relievers in 2024, was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse on Sunday. Nunez missed the entire second half of last year with a pronator strain in his right forearm, and as a result, he didn't make his Grapefruit League debut until mid-March as a precaution. The 28-year-old simply ran out of time to get the work in needed to be included on the Opening Day roster, but he'll be eligible to join the big-league bullpen on April 11. Nunez struck out 48 batters in 35 innings with a 2.31 ERA and nine holds in his major-league debut last year. If his forearm injury is truly behind him in 2025, Nunez will return to a high-leverage relief role at the back end of the Mets' bullpen and could be first in line for save chances if Edwin Diaz misses time with an injury.

Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports that New York Mets pitcher Tylor Megill will begin the season in the team's rotation. Per DiComo, he'll get the nod for the Mets' second game with the Houston Astros. Megill showed flashes of brilliance in 2024 and was particularly effective over seven starts (39 innings) post-All-Star break, compiling a 3.00 ERA and 1.18 WHIP with 42 punch-outs. The 29-year-old will get a chance to show his stuff again with fellow pitchers Sean Manaea (oblique) and Frankie Montas (lat) battling injuries. Megill has tweaked his arsenal a bit and noted that he plans to rely on his fastball more heavily, which should be a boost for him. For now, he's a late-round dart throw in fantasy drafts with some sleeper appeal, depending on how long he sticks in the rotation.