Richard “Dicky” Lovelady Joins the Mets

Richard Labelady, also known as Dicky, is the Mets’ newest relief pitcher. He has a preference for going by his nickname, especially among teammates and fans, while still wanting formal communications—like scoreboards and broadcasts—to feature his full name.

“When it comes to baseball cards, I’m Richard Labelady. On the scoreboard, I’m also Richard Labelady,” he shared. But for his friends and supporters, he welcomes being called “Dicky.”

Interestingly, some of his family even call him by his middle name, Tyler. Lovelady recently signed with the Mets after opting out of a minor league contract with the Twins, where he had an impressive 1.31 ERA over 19 appearances this season in Triple-A.

Before Lovelady arrived, the Mets had been short on left-handed relief options, particularly after trading Jose Castillo to the Diamondbacks. Mets manager Carlos Mendoza had some positive things to say about Lovelady, indicating that his skills will be a valuable addition to the bullpen.

At 29 years old, Lovelady has made two MLB appearances this season for the Blue Jays. In previous seasons, he had varied success, recording a 3.77 ERA over 28 appearances with the Rays and also pitching seven times for the Cubs with a 7.94 ERA.

This year, the Mets’ bullpen has been performing well, boasting one of the best records in Major League Baseball. Lovelady expressed his excitement about joining such a solid pitching unit and the potential he sees in it.

In addition to Lovelady’s signing, the Mets made a few roster moves, bringing in outfielder Travis Jankowski, promoting infielder Luisangel Acuña from Triple-A, and placing outfielder Jose Siri on the 60-day injured list.