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Apparently, the Mets aren't just looking to trudge their way through the season's final month. Instead of turning to some journeyman type to fill in for Daniel Murphy, who went on the DL Friday with a calf injury, they reached all the way down to Double-A and pulled up 20-year-old Dilson Herrera, who hadn't played a single game above low Class A prior to this year.

True, the Mets also acquired hard-throwing reliever and potential closer candidate Vic Black in the deal that sent Marlon Byrd to the Pirates last August, but Herrera may have been the real prize. A toolsy type who has also played some shortstop, he's taken a big step forward in the minors this season, batting .323 with 13 home runs, 23 steals and an .858 OPS. And though he's split his at-bats almost evenly between two stops, his numbers only improved following his promotion to Double-A Binghamton, where he's hit .340 with a .967 OPS.

Does that mean he's ready to play in the big leagues? That's probably a stretch. Rougned Odor took a similar step forward last year -- and with a better pedigree to begin with -- and he's struggled to transition to the big leagues at at 20.

Still, in NL-only and long-term keeper leagues, Herrera's upside makes him worth a flier.

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