Lavender walked one and struck out one in 1.1 scoreless innings Tuesday to record his first career hold in a win over the Guardians.
Making his big-league debut, the 26-year-old southpaw got the final out of the seventh inning with the Mets leading 5-2, and then stayed in for the eighth after his team produced an insurance run. Lavender could get a long look as a high-leverage option with New York having dealt veteran southpaws A.J. Minter and Brooks Raley at the trade deadline, with fellow rookie Jefry Yan being his main competition for the job of top left-handed setup man for closer Devin Williams.
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Mets' Nate Lavender: Added to roster
Rotowire
The Mets selected Lavender's contract from Triple-A Syracuse on Tuesday.
Lavender missed all of 2025 and most of 2024 due to a pair of left elbow surgeries, but he's looked sharp in the minors this season, turning in a 3.27 ERA and 53:11 K:BB over 33 innings with Syracuse. The southpaw will be making his major-league debut when/if he enters a game.
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Rays' Nate Lavender: DFA'd by Rays
Rotowire
The Rays activated Lavender (elbow) from the 60-day injured list and designated him for assignment Thursday.
Lavender underwent surgery in late August or early September to remove a bone spur from his left elbow. It's possible he'll be available for the start of spring training. However, he'll be exposed to waivers after Thursday's move. Lavender, who turns 25 in January, has yet to make his MLB debut.
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Rays' Nate Lavender: Shuttered for season
Rotowire
The Rays announced Tuesday that Lavender is scheduled to have surgery in the near future to remove a bone spur in his left elbow and will miss the remainder of the season, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
A Rule 5 selection over the winter, Lavender has resided on the Rays' injured list all season while on the mend from a May 2024 internal brace procedure on his elbow. Lavender was expected to be healthy enough to pitch during the second half of the season, but after developing the bone spur at some point in the ramp-up process, he never advanced to a minor-league rehab assignment. On a positive note, Lavender doesn't appear to be dealing with any new ligament damage to his surgically repaired elbow, so the procedure to address the bone spur may not affect his availability for the start of spring training.
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Rays' Nate Lavender: Heads to 60-day IL
Rotowire
The Rays placed Lavender (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Wednesday.
The move frees up a spot on the 40-man roster for right-hander Mason Englert, who was acquired via trade. Lavender was a Rule 5 pick this offseason and is likely to be out until around midseason while recovering from an internal brace procedure, which he underwent last spring.
