Mets to select reliever Dan Hammer for his first major league call-up

What happened

The New York Mets are expected to select reliever Dan Hammer onto the major league roster, per MLB.com's Anthony DiComo — a move that would give the 6'2" right-hander his first big league appearance. The club will need to make both active and 40-man roster moves before tomorrow's series finale against the Kansas City Royals, per the report.

Hammer arrives via a minor league contract the Mets signed with him last offseason, which is the kind of deal that tends to get filed under "depth acquisition" and then quietly becomes the most interesting story in the bullpen by July. He was originally a 13th-round pick by the Baltimore Orioles out of the University of Pittsburgh in 2019, spent last season in Double-A with the Tampa Bay Rays organization as a minor league Rule 5 selection, and has spent 2026 working his way through the top two levels of the Mets system.

Why it matters

Hammer's selection would be a first call-up, arriving a couple of months before his 29th birthday, per the report. That context matters operationally: the Mets are not promoting a prospect with years of development runway ahead of him. They are adding a reliever who has earned his way to this moment through a winding path — drafted by one organization, Rule 5'd by another, signed on a minor league deal by a third — and who has put together a compelling statistical case at the upper levels of the minors this season.

The corresponding 40-man roster moves required before tomorrow's game are still pending, per DiComo's report. Under general league roster mechanics, a player must be on the 40-man roster to be called up to the active roster, so the Mets will need to create space on both lists before Hammer can be added. What those moves look like — whether they involve a designation for assignment, a transfer to the 60-day injured list, or some other mechanism — has not been reported.

The numbers

Hammer has combined for 33 1/3 innings across the top two minor league levels this season, posting a 2.16 ERA in that stretch, per the report. His strikeout rate of 26.4% of batters faced is described as impressive, while his walk rate of nearly 15% of opponents reflects what the report characterizes as well below-average control — a pairing that amounts to above-average bat-missing ability alongside a command profile that will face a stiffer test at the next level.

His arsenal, per the report, is built around a four-seam fastball sitting in the 95-96 mph range and a 90 mph cutter, with a slider and curveball mixed in occasionally. The fastball-cutter combination gives him two weapons in similar velocity bands, which can create deception, though the walk rate suggests the command of that arsenal has been inconsistent. The strikeout number says hitters have had trouble squaring him up; the walk number says the zone has not always cooperated.

Where the club stands

The Mets carry a record of 74-88 (.457), sitting 5th in the NL East, 20 games back in the division, and ranked 10th in the Wild Card race at 14.0 games relative to the cut line. The club has been eliminated from both the division race and the Wild Card race, and enters Thursday on a one-game losing streak.

A 74-88 record and elimination from both races means the Mets are playing out the schedule in a context that is, to put it charitably, more developmental than competitive. That is not a knock — it is the operational reality that shapes every roster decision from here through the end of the regular season, and it is precisely the environment in which a first call-up for a 28-year-old reliever makes the most sense. There is no postseason calculus to weigh. There is a bullpen that needs arms, and a pitcher who has earned a look.

Thursday's series finale against the Royals at Citi Field has Sean Manaea lined up against Michael Wacha. The Mets then open a home series against the Boston Red Sox on Friday, with Nolan McLean scheduled against Sonny Gray, followed by Freddy Peralta against Eduardo Rivera on Saturday.

Is Hammer on the 40-man roster yet?

Not as of the report. Per Anthony DiComo of MLB.com, the Mets will need to make both active and 40-man roster moves before tomorrow's game. The selection is expected, but the corresponding roster construction has not been reported as complete. Under general league mechanics, the 40-man roster is the reserve list a player must appear on before he can be called up to the active roster — so until those moves are made, Hammer's addition remains pending.

What we don't know yet

The corresponding roster moves required to clear space on both the active and 40-man rosters have not been reported. It is also not yet known which specific role Hammer will fill in the bullpen, how the Mets plan to deploy his fastball-cutter combination, or whether his walk rate at the minor league level will translate differently in a major league context. The report does not specify a timeline beyond "before tomorrow's game."

What to watch

The roster moves the Mets make to accommodate Hammer will be worth tracking — they will tell you something about the current state of the 40-man, whether any players are being moved to the 60-day injured list, and which arms the organization is prioritizing as the season winds down. Beyond the paperwork, watch how Hammer is used in the series against the Royals and the subsequent home stand against Boston. A reliever with a 2.16 ERA across 33 1/3 minor league innings and a fastball sitting 95-96 mph will get opportunities; the question the walk rate raises is whether the strike-throwing follows him to Citi Field.

For a pitcher who has traveled from Pittsburgh to Baltimore's draft room to Tampa Bay's Double-A affiliate to a Mets minor league deal, Thursday would represent a considerable amount of ground covered. Per MLB.com's Anthony DiComo, the selection is expected. The roster paperwork is almost there.