NEW YORK (AP) — The disappointing New York Mets shook up their roster a bit Friday, sending third baseman Brett Baty and rookie pitcher Christian Scott to the minors in a series of moves that also included backup catcher Omar Narváez being designated for assignment.
The team acquired catcher Luis Torrens from the crosstown New York Yankees for cash and called him up to the majors. Torrens had been playing at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in the Yankees’ farm system.
The Mets also selected veteran José Iglesias from Triple-A Syracuse, adding the backup middle infielder they’d gone without on the bench since cutting Joey Wendle on May 15.
Right-hander Dedniel Núñez was recalled from Syracuse to provide needed depth in a tattered bullpen.
Baty’s demotion to Syracuse means fellow youngster Mark Vientos will get an everyday opportunity at third base. Baty made dramatic improvements into a quality defender this season but has slumped at the plate since a strong start.
Scott’s demotion is hardly related to performance. The club’s top pitching prospect has thrown well in five starts since making his major league debut in early May, but the Mets finally have five other healthy starters now and they have three off days coming up around a June 8-9 series against the Philadelphia Phillies in London.
By optioning Scott to Syracuse, the Mets can easily limit his workload for a while, and he is expected to return before too long. The right-hander pitched five solid innings Thursday night in a no-decision against Arizona.
Despite baseball’s biggest payroll, the fourth-place Mets (23-33) won for only the fifth time in 20 games Thursday when they beat the defending NL champion Diamondbacks 3-2 in the opener of a four-game series.
New York has seven days to trade or release Narváez, or assign him outright to the minors if he goes unclaimed on waivers.
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