Rob Zastryzny is a name you probably have already forgotten. He entered in the seventh inning of the nightcap of the Mets’ doubleheader Saturday in Philadelphia. The 30-year-old lefty recorded two outs to strand an inherited baserunner, then returned for the eighth, in which he struck out Nick Maton and surrendered a triple to Kyle Schwarber, prompting Buck Showalter to make a pitching change.
A day later, he was gone, his job apparently completed. The Mets received three outs and moved on to the next arm, who they hoped could do the same. Here is the story behind the Mets and Zastryzny earning those three outs, which helps explain how the club has been so good on the margins this season:
Zastryzny, a second-round draft pick in 2013, debuted in 2016 with the Cubs. He bounced between the majors and minors for three seasons, recording a 4.41 ERA in 18 big league games, primarily out of the bullpen. He was released in 2019 and latched on with the Dodgers, with whom he spent the season in the minors. In 2020, he was at the Orioles’ alternate site, but required an elbow surgery that left him uncertain he would reach the majors again.
Zastryzny worked with a personal pitching coach in Austin, Texas, and had agreed to a deal to join the independent Long Island Ducks before the Marlins called in 2021. He spent last year in Miami’s system and caught the attention of the Mets, who believed in his slider and signed him in November.
