QUEENS, NY — Mets reliever Drew Smith told amNewYork on Wednesday that he threw 10 pitches “halfway up the mound” for the first time as he continues his rehabilitation process from Tommy John surgery he underwent in July.
The 31-year-old right-hander has been participating in catches at 120 feet two to three times a week “for the last few weeks.” The hope is that he can throw from the top of the mound within the next two to three weeks.
Should he continue on this trajectory, there is an additional hope that he can begin participating in rehab assignments “later this summer.”
“Obviously, the timelines are fluid after undergoing Tommy John surgery,” he added. “But I have already gone through this once before, so I kind of know what to expect.”
Smith underwent a first Tommy John procedure that held him out for the entire 2019 season, and appeared in 19 games (17.2 innings) last year before suffering severe ligament damage in late June.
He posted a 3.06 ERA and a 1.520 WHIP with 23 strikeouts in 2024. In six healthy campaigns with New York, he owns a career 3.48 ERA with a 9.3 K/9 ratio.
Despite the surgery, the Mets brought Smith back on a one-year contract with an option for the 2026 season.
Latest on Paul Blackburn
Starting pitcher Paul Blackburn’s next rehab start will be on Friday with Double-A Binghamton, president of baseball operations David Stearns disclosed on Wednesday
The veteran right-hander, who is recovering from knee inflammation, threw 60 pitches on Sunday with Triple-A Syracuse, and the next step is for him to reach the 75-pitch mark. Even if he does, he will most likely need one more rehab start after that before potentially rejoining the team.
What his role will be remains to be seen. He was slated to begin the 2025 season in the bullpen when he lost out on a bottom-of-the-rotation job to Tylor Megill and Griffin Canning, but Stearns stressed the need for him to build up to a starter’s workload.
“He may not immediately slot into the rotation, but if we don’t get him built back up to the full starter workload now, we have no shot of doing that if he goes into the bullpen when he comes back,” Stearns said. “We think having him build up to that length is important.
“Where exactly he fits in when he’s ready is going to be dependent on team need. If we have an injury in the rotation, he can certainly slot back into the rotation. If not, it’s going to be the role we thought it was going to be coming out of camp, which is that long guy.”
