David Peterson has been bouncing up and down between the minors and majors for the past four years, logging 333 innings with the big-league Mets.
So the lefty’s season debut this week might not feel quite like the Mets adding a new pitcher.
But Peterson feels like a new pitcher.
Peterson pitched through hip discomfort last season that got progressively worse and became “pretty bad toward the end,” he said.
Doctors checked out the area and found a torn labrum in his left hip, recommending a surgery that would mean a delayed start to Peterson’s 2024.
After months of rehab and a strong rehab assignment, Peterson is glad he opted for the procedure.
“It’s a night-and-day difference how the hip feels,” Peterson said before the Mets escaped with a 4-3, walk-off win over the Giants at Citi Field on Sunday. “It feels completely different.”
Peterson will take the ball for his season debut Wednesday against the Dodgers, jumping in to what currently is a six-man rotation and bumping Adrian Houser (who pitched four, one-run innings Sunday) to the bullpen.
After a strong 2022 campaign, Peterson struggled out of the gate last year — holding an 8.08 ERA before a demotion to Triple-A Syracuse in mid-May — but found better command and consistency as the year wore on.
In 10 starts in August and September, he pitched to a 3.88 ERA while striking out 60 and walking 25 in 48 ²/₃ innings.
All the while, he was battling pain in his hip and focusing in between starts on treatment to ensure he could be ready for his next outing.
The pain is now gone, and he feels freer in his delivery.
“Having good range of motion in the hip and being able to move the right way [is huge],” the 28-year-old said. “Some other things [in my delivery] kind of subsequently got cleaned up and feel better than they did before. I’m not working as hard to try to protect everything since the hip is doing what it’s supposed to now.”
The ultimate test of how Peterson’s comfort translates into results will come at the major league level, but his minor league results have been promising.
In six starts with Low-A St. Lucie, Double-A Binghamton and Syracuse, Peterson allowed three earned runs in 23 ²/₃ innings (1.14 ERA) while walking just three and striking out 35.
Peterson checked off every box, throwing 89 pitches in an outing Friday that will springboard him into the majors.
He feels new and ready to help.
“It’s nice to throw with no pain,” Peterson said.
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