The New York Mets could soon face a familiar pitcher when they play a division rival.
On the MLB transactions log, it was revealed on Wednesday that the Washington Nationals signed left-handed reliever Alex Young to a minor league deal.
Young hasn’t pitched in the MLB since the 2024 season, which he ended with the Mets. The left-hander was drafted in the second round of the 2015 MLB Draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks. He made his debut in 2019. He spent parts of three years with Arizona before being claimed off waivers by Cleveland in 2021.
Young then bounced around Cleveland, the San Francisco Giants, and the Cincinnati Reds before the Mets claimed him off waivers in July of 2024.
With the Mets, Young pitched well out of the bullpen, as he went 0-0 with a 3.29 ERA in 14 games in 13.2 innings. His best season came in 2022 with the Giants – except for one game with Cleveland – as he went 1-1 with a 2.36 ERA in 25 games, including 5 holds.
Young missed the entire 2025 season after undergoing an unspecified season-ending surgery on his left elbow on March 31. After being cleared to return, the left-hander has now signed with the Nationals. He could potentially be an option out of the bullpen soon.
Young Recovers From Surgery
After signing back with the Reds last offseason, Young never pitched as he had to undergo elbow surgery.
Young made an Instagram post – which is deleted – announcing his surgery.
“I never thought I would be in this situation,” Young wrote, via SI. “Nor did I think I would ever need surgery. Turns out, I’ve been unknowingly pitching with a distal tear for the past nine years, along with bone fragments being built up over the years. Crazy to think about how much I’ve put my arm through without realizing what was really going on.
“Definitely not how I wanted to have the 2025 season play out. But it’s something I needed to take care of. I’m at peace with it and ready to move on. Surgery went smooth. Thank you to Dr. Meister and his team for giving my elbow a second chance at life. Woke up from anesthesia thinking I was about to throw 100 mph… turns out I was just asking for snacks.”
After electing free agency at the end of the season, Young waited to be able to return before he signed with the Nationals.
Mets Pick Up 1st Sweep of Season
New York swept the Detroit Tigers as the Mets picked up a 9-4 win on Thursday for their first sweep of the season.
The Mets’ bats came alive, and manager Carlos Mendoza was impressed with how his team played.
“There’s a lot to like,” Mendoza said. “We won in a lot of different ways, we swung the bat well, we created traffic, we ran the bases well. We got timely hitting. The pitching was outstanding. … Overall, the whole series, I thought we played complete, complete games.”
The Mets will now host the New York Yankees for a weekend series. New York is 18-25 following the sweep.
Former Mets Pitcher Signs With Division Rival After Elbow Surgery