Rico Garcia — a Yankee a few days ago — comes up big in Mets' win
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Who needs the trade deadline when you have the waiver wire?
The Mets, after another day with a flurry of transactions that impacted their bullpen, got another strong performance from a reliever group that's been battered by injuries and heavy usage.
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Frankie Montas gave the Mets 5 ²/₃ innings in a 3-2 win over the Angels on Tuesday at Citi Field, but the Mets bullpen was again tasked with pitching significant innings for a second straight game.
And even with everyone in the sport — especially president of baseball operations David Stearns — aware the team needs upgrades in that area, the Mets got what they needed from some unexpected places.
On Tuesday, it started with a key scoreless inning from right-hander Rico Garcia, who has spent the past week bouncing between the Mets and the Yankees.
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'There's been a lot of traveling, for sure,' Garcia said. 'I'm trying to find my place and do whatever the team needs me to do.'
Whatever team that is.
He was designated for assignment when the Mets were in Kansas City and went home to Hawaii for the All-Star break.
3 Rico Garcia, who pitched a scoreless inning, throws a pitch in the seventh inning of the Mets' 3-2 win over the Angels on July 22, 2025.
Corey Sipkin for New York Post
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Garcia was then claimed by the Yankees on Monday during the break, flew to Atlanta on Wednesday, pitched for the Yankees in Atlanta on Friday — his lone poor outing of his four in the majors this year — was waived by the Yankees and claimed by the Mets and flew to New York on Monday before being activated for Tuesday's game.
'You've just power through it,' Garcia said of the whirlwind. 'You can't think about it too much because then you start looking for excuses. They don't care about excuses. They just want results. I do what I can.'
The 31-year-old entered with a runner on first and two outs in a one-run game in the top of the sixth and got Luis Rengifo to ground into a force-out to end the inning.
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3 Rico Garcia struggled in his outing with the Yankees in their loss to the Braves on July 18, 2025.
Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
He pitched around a one-out single by Nolan Schanuel and a wild pitch in the seventh, getting Zach Neto and Mike Trout swinging before Reed Garrett finished the inning.
And Ryne Stanek closed it with Edwin Díaz unavailable after pitching on consecutive days.
Garcia's performance aided a pen that will undoubtedly have some significant additions by the July 31 trade deadline, but first saved the Mets with six innings of one-run ball after Kodai Senga lasted just three innings in Monday's win.
3 Rico Garcia, who pitched a scoreless inning, looks up to the sky after exiting in the seventh inning of the Mets' win over the Angels.
Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
On that night, Carlos Mendoza went to the just-arrived Kevin Herget after removing Senga and the right-hander pitched 2 ¹/₃ shutout frames before Chris Devenski allowed a run in the seventh.
Herget, whose contract had just been purchased from Triple-A Syracuse, was optioned back to the minors after the game, while Devenski was designated for assignment.
But for a Mets team in need of wins, they provided some strong innings while they wait for reinforcements.
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'Guys are gonna walk through those doors and continue to get opportunities and step up,' Mendoza said. 'To get it back-to-back nights is huge.'
'It's just about being ready,'' Garcia said.
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