Sharp Familia closer to return
Jeurys Familia returned to New York on Tuesday for the first of his two appearances with the Brooklyn Cyclones, the Mets’ low-A team.
He took the mound in the fifth inning and had no trouble retiring the side, finishing the frame on 10 pitches and forcing two popouts and a groundout against the Hudson Valley Renegades.
“I feel great, 100 percent,” Familia said. “I think my arm and my body feel good. I have to take it dayto-day, depending how my arm responds, but right now I feel really good.”
A Mets source said they expect the closer back during the next road trip and are aiming for this weekend. Familia said if his arm feels as good Wednesday as it did after Tuesday’s outing, he’ll definitely rejoin the team in Washington.
“We’ll see how I feel tomorrow after the back-to-back, and if I feel 100 percent, I’ll go,” he added.
The 27-year-old is rehabbing from surgery after having a blood clot removed from his shoulder this past May. The closer pitched in 11 games with the Mets this year and recorded three saves before surgery. His stint with Brooklyn will be his first time appearing in back-to-back outings since moving to the disabled list.
Familia previously pitched in a pair of games for the high A St. Lucie Mets, where he recorded four strikeouts in the two scoreless innings he pitched.
He had no troubled finding the strike zone Tuesday night, throwing 7 strikes in his 10 pitches.
“I threw all my pitches tonight — my sinker, splitter and slider all worked,” he added.