Raley struck out two in a perfect eighth inning during an Opening Day win over the Marlins to record his first hold of the season.
The Mets' bullpen survived its first test without Edwin Diaz (knee) and passed with flying colors, as Raley, Drew Smith and David Robertson combined to strike out six batters over three scoreless innings in relief of Max Scherzer. Raley was already ticketed for a high-leverage role in his first season with the team as the top lefty in the New York 'pen, but he could find his way into a few more save chances in Diaz's absence, although Robertson will likely see the bulk of the ninth-inning work out of the gate.
... See More... See Less
Mets' Brooks Raley: Pitching in intrasquad game
Rotowire
Raley (hamstring) is scheduled to pitch in an intrasquad game Monday, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.
Raley concluded the Mets' Grapefruit League without having made an appearance since March 5, but he was able to throw in a minor-league game over the weekend and appears to have experienced no setbacks in his recovery from a strained left hamstring. Assuming he checks out fine after Monday's outing, Raley will be included on the Mets' Opening Day roster and should be in position to work in a key late-innings role.
... See More... See Less
Mets' Brooks Raley: Still on track
Rotowire
Raley (hamstring) pitched in a minor-league game rather than a Grapefruit League game Saturday but remains on track for Opening Day, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.
Raley is dealing with a low-grade left hamstring strain but seems to be progressing well. Previous reports held that he'd pitch for the big-league club this weekend, but the Mets apparently changed plans. His next appearance will come in an intrasquad game Monday. Assuming no setbacks, Raley could see saves as the top lefty in a closer committee in the absence of Edwin Diaz (knee), though David Robertson is presumably ahead of him on the depth chart should the Mets anoint a new dedicated closer.
... See More... See Less
Mets' Brooks Raley: Nearing return to Grapefruit mound
Rotowire
Raley (hamstring) pitched in a minor-league game Wednesday and is on track to return to Grapefruit League action this weekend, Mike Puma of the New York Post reports.
Raley suffered a low-grade strain of his left hamstring earlier this month as he was gearing up to represent Team USA in the World Baseball Classic, but he has checked most of the necessary boxes in the weeks since and should be good to go for Opening Day. The left-hander could factor into the saves mix for the Mets in 2023 with Edwin Diaz (knee) already done for the year.
... See More... See Less
Mets' Brooks Raley: On track for Opening Day
Rotowire
Raley (hamstring) threw a bullpen session Sunday and believes he's on track for Opening Day, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.
Raley is hoping to get in at least one Grapefruit League game by the end of the week. The left-hander has been out with a left hamstring strain and was forced off the World Baseball Classic roster. Raley could be an option for saves if he is healthy, but he'll need to get in at least a game or two in Florida if he's going to be a part of the Opening Day roster.
... See More... See Less
Mets' Brooks Raley: Might be in mix for saves
Rotowire
Raley (hamstring) and David Robertson are viewed as the primary options for saves for the Mets in the event that Edwin Diaz (knee) is lost for a significant period of time after the closer suffered an injury Wednesday, Andy Martino of SNY.tv reports.
Raley collected six saves for the Rays last season before being traded to the Mets in December. The left-hander was dominant in 2022 against lefties and righties alike, so there aren't platoon split worries. Robertson might be higher in the pecking order given his long history as a closer, but both should be on the radars of mixed-league fantasy managers. Raley is working his way back from a hamstring injury but is expected to be ready to pitch in a game in a few days.
... See More... See Less
Mets' Brooks Raley: Plays catch Tuesday
Rotowire
Raley (hamstring) returned to Mets camp and played catch Tuesday, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.
Raley had to pull out of the World Baseball Classic because of a low-grade left hamstring strain, but he's expected to be fine. The lefty won't appear in a game for at least a week, but the Mets anticipate the reliever being ready to roll on Opening Day.
... See More... See Less
Mets' Brooks Raley: Expected back Tuesday
Rotowire
Raley (hamstring) is expected back Tuesday for the Mets, Tim Britton of The Athletic reports.
Raley was diagnosed with a low grade left hamstring strain Saturday, and the left-hander was forced to withdraw from the American roster for the World Baseball Classic. Even if he misses a few extra days, it appears that this won't be an injury that carries into the regular season.
... See More... See Less
Mets' Brooks Raley: Dealing with hamstring strain
Rotowire
Raley was diagnosed with a low-grade left hamstring strain Saturday.
Raley was removed from the American roster for the World Baseball Classic on Friday, but the reason was initially undisclosed. It now looks likely that he could open the season on the injured list, though the Mets have yet to announce a timeline.
... See More... See Less
Mets' Brooks Raley: Removed from WBC roster
Rotowire
Raley was removed from the Team USA roster Friday due to an undisclosed injury, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.
Raley has been replaced by Aaron Loup for the tournament. The specifics of the injury are unknown at this time.
... See More... See Less
Mets' Brooks Raley: Shipped to Mets
Rotowire
The Mets acquired Raley from the Rays on Wednesday in exchange for minor-league pitcher Keyshawn Askew, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.
Aside from All-Star closer Edwin Diaz, the Mets were lacking in reliable setup options last season, and the team's relief depth became further tested earlier this winter when all of Seth Lugo, Trevor May, Joely Rodriguez and Adam Ottavino became free agents. The addition of Raley thus addresses a major need, as he'll give the Mets a proven left-handed arm to slot in front of Diaz in the late innings. Raley covered 53.2 frames for Tampa Bay in 2022, collecting one win, six saves and 22 holds while pitching to a 2.68 ERA and 0.97 WHIP.
... See More... See Less
Rays' Brooks Raley: Rare stumble in loss
Rotowire
Raley (1-2) allowed three earned runs on three hits across one inning to take the loss Wednesday against the Astros.
Raley entered the game with a one-run lead, but he allowed a three-run home run to Kyle Tucker to take the loss. Entering Wednesday's appearance, Raley had turned in 10 consecutive scoreless outings -- spanning 10.2 innings -- while also picking up six holds in that span. Despite the stumble, Raley has been excellent for the Rays this season with a 2.47 ERA and 0.92 WHIP across 51 frames.
... See More... See Less
Rays' Brooks Raley: Goes on restricted list
Rotowire
The Rays placed Raley on the restricted list prior to their series in Toronto, Tricia Whitaker of Bally Sports Sun reports.
Due to his vaccination status, Raley will miss the Rays' entire four-game set in Toronto before returning to the active roster Friday. The lefty has strung together eight scoreless appearances with 10 strikeouts and one walk dating back to Aug. 20.
... See More... See Less
Rays' Brooks Raley: Secures sixth save
Rotowire
Raley threw a perfect inning and earned a save against Baltimore on Friday.
Raley tossed eight of 12 pitches for strikes and made quick work of the Orioles to finish off the 5-4 victory. He's now converted six of his seven save opportunities this season and lowered his ERA to 2.86 through 28.1 frames. The 34-year-old southpaw has given up three runs over his last 14 outings, all coming during an ugly outing in Cincinnati on July 9.
... See More... See Less
Rays' Brooks Raley: Earns fifth save
Rotowire
Raley picked up the save Tuesday, striking out two and walking a batter in the ninth inning of a 3-2 victory over Boston.
After retiring the first two batters in order in the ninth, Raley issued a two-out walk to Jeter Downs. He finished the night by striking out Franchy Cordero on three pitches. It was his fifth save of the season and first since June 26. His five saves are tied for the team lead with Andrew Kittredge (elbow) and Colin Poche. Raley should continue to get the occasional save opportunity as part of the Rays' back-end bullpen committee.
... See More... See Less
Rays' Brooks Raley: Unavailable in Toronto
Rotowire
Raley will be placed on the restricted list and won't travel with the Rays for the upcoming five-game series against the Blue Jays, which begins Thursday, due to Canada's vaccination requirement, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Raley didn't allow a hit over two scoreless innings during Tuesday's loss to Milwaukee, and he won't be able to travel with the team to Toronto since he's apparently unvaccinated. The 34-year-old has four saves and seven holds with a 2.42 ERA this season, so his absence will be significant for the Tampa Bay bullpen. The Rays have five relievers with at least two saves this season, with Colin Poche and Jason Adam set to be the top options for the five-game set versus the Blue Jays.
... See More... See Less
Rays' Brooks Raley: Earns fourth save
Rotowire
Raley picked up the save in Sunday's 4-2 win over Pittsburgh, striking out one and allowing a walk in the ninth inning.
Raley converted the rare save opportunity, pitching around a two-out walk to secure the victory. The lefty was called upon to close out a game for the first time since May 11. The Rays have spread around save chances this season with Colin Poche receiving the bulk of the opportunities of late. With four saves, Raley is now one behind both Poche and Andrew Kittredge for the team lead. It seems likely that he'll get the occasional save opportunity, though Sunday's chance had more to do with two left-handed hitting batters coming to the plate in the ninth than a changing of the guard.
... See More... See Less
Rays' Brooks Raley: Notches third save
Rotowire
Raley walked one and struck out one in a scoreless 10th inning Wednesday to record his third save of the season in a 4-2 win over the Angels.
The Rays' bullpen usage remains as mercurial as ever, but Raley at the very least appears to have earned a place of trust among Kevin Cash's high-leverage crew. The veteran lefty has two saves, a win and a hold in his last four games and has been scored upon in only one of his 11 appearances this season, leaving him with a 1.80 ERA, 0.70 WHIP and 13:2 K:BB through 10 innings.
... See More... See Less
Rays' Brooks Raley: Records second save
Rotowire
Raley earned the save against the Mariners on Thursday, completing a perfect inning during which he struck out one batter.
Andrew Kittredge has emerged as the Rays' most frequent closer this season, but he had pitched each of the the previous three days and was given the night off Thursday. Raley stepped in to fill the ninth-inning role and did well, retiring the side on 12 pitches to preserve a one-run lead. The save was the southpaw's second of the season, and he could get additional chances here and there, though probably not enough to make him a viable fantasy asset in leagues that don't count holds.
... See More... See Less
Rays' Brooks Raley: Notches one-out save
Rotowire
Raley struck out the only batter he faced and earned a save over the Orioles on Friday.
J.P. Feyereisen was lifted from the game after coughing up a two-out single to Rougned Odor in the ninth inning. Raley took over and fanned Cedric Mullins on six pitches to secure the 2-1 victory. The 33-year-old southpaw posted a 1.93 ERA in four spring appearances and it looks like he'll be part of the Rays' late-inning mix to start the 2022 campaign.
