Mets designate former first-round pick for assignment

The Mets have designated right-hander Tommy Hunter for assignment and optioned lefty Zach Muckenhirn to Triple-A, per a team announcement. In their places, the club has recalled right-hander John Curtiss and left-hander Josh Walker to the big league roster.

A first-round pick by the Rangers in the 2007 draft, Hunter is a veteran of 16 MLB seasons with a career 4.07 ERA in 917 1/3 innings of work. After posting strong numbers for the Mets during the 2021 and 2022 seasons, with a 1.78 ERA in 30 1/3 innings, Hunter has struggled during his age-36 season. In 2023, Hunter has posted a 6.85 ERA in 23 2/3 innings. Some of those struggles have been thanks to an unusually low 56.8% strand rate, but Hunter has allowed far too much hard contact this season, with a 13.6% barrel rate and a hard-hit rate of 45.5%. Should Hunter pass through waivers, he’ll have the option to elect free agency or stick with the Mets as bullpen depth at the Triple-A level.

As for Muckenhirn, the left-hander has allowed four runs on 11 hits and two walks in three appearances (six innings) during his limited time in the majors this season. He returns to Triple-A, where he has posted a 1.11 ERA in 24 1/3 innings of work this season, to serve as bullpen depth for the Mets going forward.

Joining the roster in the duo’s place are Curtiss and Walker. Curtiss, 30, has posted a 4.85 ERA in 13 innings of work for the Mets this season after not appearing in the big leagues in 2022 while rehabbing Tommy John surgery. Prior to going under the knife, Curtiss had posted a strong 2.86 ERA in 69 1/3 innings of work since the start of the 2020 season. Walker, meanwhile, made his big league debut for the Mets earlier this year, tossing a scoreless inning in his lone appearance.