Mets claim lefty Brad Hand off waivers from Blue Jays

The new-look Mets front office made its first acquisition, and it was a long time coming.

The Mets claimed left-hander Brad Hand off waivers from the Blue Jays on Thursday, the club announced. The team designated right-hander Geoff Hartlieb for assignment to make room for Hand on the 40-man roster.

The club picked up Hand shortly after announcing Mets acting GM Zack Scott was placed on administrative leave, indefinitely, after being arrested Tuesday morning for drunk driving. Team president Sandy Alderson took over GM duties for Scott, and the Hand acquisition was the first move made under the new bare bones front-office structure.

“It’s an upgrade for us,” said manager Luis Rojas. “It’s a great acquisition by our front office – sending a message to us, the team, and the whole Mets nation that we’re fighting for this, we’re upgrading our team.”

The Mets had been interested in Hand since the offseason when the southpaw was a free agent. The timing did not work out for the team then, and Hand signed with the Nationals in January. There, he posted a 3.59 ERA and recorded 21 saves in 42.2 innings and 41 relief appearances.

Washington dealt Hand to the Blue Jays at the July trade deadline, but he struggled for Toronto, recording a 7.27 ERA in 11 appearances before the club designated him for assignment on Tuesday.

Hand, 31, is 5-7 with a 4.21 ERA in 52 combined games with the Nationals and Blue Jays this year.

The Mets (65-67) entered Thursday with 30 games remaining on the regular-season schedule to make a push for the playoffs. Hand will complement Aaron Loup, the left-handed reliever the team acquired after Hand went to the Nationals, in the Mets bullpen. Loup has put in a fantastic season for the Mets, hurling a 1.20 ERA over 53 relief appearances to become their best reliever this year.

DeGROM AND NOAH

Jacob deGrom (right elbow inflammation) is continuing to play catch while he ramps back up from an injury that has sidelined him since the All-Star break. DeGrom last started for the Mets on July 7, and the team still hopes he can pitch again this season by continuing his rehab. His next step will include throwing off the slope.

Noah Syndergaard (tested positive for COVID-19) is throwing to a mattress in his apartment, Rojas said. The manager said he is not sure how much longer Syndergaard is required to remain isolated. The Mets found out about his positive test last Saturday, and if that was the first day of his quarantine, he still has at least four more days to go before he can take another test, hope for a negative result, and potentially return to the mound shortly after.

Syndergaard had completed one rehab start in August, and the Mets still expect the right-hander to join the team before the 2021 season is over.

MCCANN DUE BACK THIS WEEKEND

James McCann (back spasms) has been on the injured list since Aug. 17 with an injury he thought would subside pretty quickly. Instead, it has caused him to miss 13 games while backup catcher Tomas Nido (sprained left thumb) also sits on the IL.

McCann said he has felt much better of late, and he expects to join the Mets this weekend during their road trip in Washington D.C. The back spasms started when the Mets flew to San Francisco for a seven-game road trip on the west coast last month. He felt his back cramp up during the flight and linger into the next few days.

Now, the injury is behind him and he’s swinging, throwing and running pain-free. His final hurdle involves completing a running progression, after which he is expected to be activated from the IL.

ROSTER MOVES

On Wednesday, the Mets called up outfielders Albert Almora Jr. and Khalil Lee from Triple-A Syracuse as part of their September call-ups. Lee made his major-league debut for the Mets this season, on May 17 at Atlanta, and played 11 games for the club while most of the team’s starters were on the injured list. Lee struggled at the plate, striking out 13 times in 18 at-bats, but he was certainly impressive in the outfield.

Rojas said on Thursday that Lee “just wasn’t put together” when he played for the Mets in May. The skipper said Lee benefitted from experiencing the big leagues and then fine-tuning his approach at the plate back with Syracuse. Lee is more disciplined at the plate now, Rojas said.

Since being demoted to Triple-A at the end of May, Lee batted .243 with eight home runs and 22 RBI for Syracuse. He has a .905 OPS and is slugging .455 in 78 minor-league games this year. He will serve as outfield depth for the Mets on their bench, behind Kevin Pillar and Almora.