Sometimes, baseball plans are as sturdy as a house of cards in a windstorm. Just when the New York Mets thought they had their pitching rotation set, the baseball gods had other ideas.
Griffin Canning was lined up to start the series finale against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field, but an untimely illness sent the Mets back to the drawing board.
An Unexpected Turn
Canning’s absence forced the Mets to improvise—and fast. With little time to spare, they dipped into their Triple-A depth and summoned right-hander Justin Hagenman from Syracuse.
The move wasn’t just a patch; it was a pivot. Hagenman, who was scheduled to pitch for Syracuse, instead packed his bags for Minnesota.
But he won’t be the first man on the mound, as we found out on Wednesday morning.
Opening with Fire
The Mets decided to go with an opener, turning to shutdown reliever Huascar Brazobán to kick things off. It’s a move that feels more chess than checkers—aggressive, calculated, and maybe even a little bold.
Huascar Brázoban will start today’s game as an opener for the Mets.
— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) April 16, 2025
Brazobán, after all, has been lights out to start the year. Across 11.1 innings, he’s stitched together a minuscule 0.79 ERA with a 0.71 WHIP, and nine strikeouts to boot.
It’s the kind of stat line that makes hitters sweat before they even step in the box.
Enter Hagenman
After Brazobán’s initial surge, it’s possible the ball lands in Hagenman’s hands for the bulk of the innings.
While his early-season numbers with Syracuse aren’t exactly inspiring—he’s posted a 6.97 ERA over 10.1 frames—he’ll have a chance to reset the narrative on a big-league mound.
It’s not uncommon for pitchers to catch lightning when least expected, and for Hagenman, Wednesday might just be that moment.
In a season where flexibility is often as valuable as firepower, the Mets are showing they’re willing to adapt on the fly.