PITTSBURGH — After the visitors’ clubhouse in Worcester, Massachusetts, nearly emptied on Friday night, Eric Orze took a moment to reflect on his journey and grew emotional.
The Mets relief pitcher, with his teammates present, received the news from Triple-A Syracuse manager Dick Scott that he had been added to the major league roster.
Orzeh, 26, was diagnosed with testicular cancer six years ago and underwent two surgeries.
He was later diagnosed with skin cancer and required further treatment.
“It’s been a crazy journey,” Orze said at PNC Park. Before the Mets beat the Pirates 5-2“There were a lot of ups and downs.” [Friday’s news] It meant a lot. At first, I was smiling and happy. The clubhouse was a little empty, and I got a little emotional as I was packing up. And all the hard times were remembered for a moment, and it all made it worth it. All of that has shaped me into the person I am today, and the player I am today. So, I wouldn’t change a thing.”
Ty Adcock transferred to Syracuse to make roster space for Orze, who spent four seasons there.
He attended three spring training sessions with the Mets but had to wait until Friday to be promoted to the majors.
Orze appeared in 26 games for Syracuse this season, striking out 56 batters in 31 1/3 innings with a 3.76 ERA.
“It’s a great story,” manager Carlos Mendoza said, “a credit to him and player development. He’s been through a lot in his life. He’s a big leaguer now. It’s pretty special.”
Jose Butt transferred last week from Syracuse University, where he had been a starter, and seems to be settling into the bullpen.
The right-hander pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings behind David Peterson on Saturday.
The pitcher appeared in relief at Washington on Tuesday, pitching two scoreless innings.
“He looks really good. The most important thing as he adjusts to this situation is to give him enough time to prepare, which was the case today,” Mendoza said. “We let him know well in advance. We’ll monitor him day by day and see how he feels and go from there.”
Francisco Alvarez, who was not in the starting lineup, took over for Luis Torrens in the bottom of the ninth with Edwin Diaz at catcher, a tactic Mendoza has used before.
Mendoza said Torrence will likely be asked to play catcher for Diaz at some point, but for now, familiarity is the key.
