By Sunday 
When Brooks Raley stood on a mound earlier this year, staring down a row of radar guns held by scouts, it felt like a college showcase all over again. Except this time, he wasn’t a fresh-faced prospect—he was a 36-year-old veteran fighting for a second chance.
And now, he’s earned it.
The New York Mets officially activated Raley on Friday, marking his return from Tommy John surgery and completing a long, uncertain comeback. In a bullpen hungry for reliable arms—especially from the left side—Raley’s return feels less like a rehab milestone and more like a midseason trade acquisition.
“It’s huge,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. “It feels like a Trade Deadline acquisition here.”
The Road Back
After tearing the UCL in his left elbow last April, Raley faced a harsh reality: at nearly 37 years old, most pitchers call it a career. Instead, he chose the harder path. The one with rehab setbacks, lonely bullpens, and the nagging question of whether he’d ever pitch at the Major League level again.
The Mets, who had let him go, came calling again after his private showcase. Within days of speaking with president David Stearns, Raley was signed and pitching in Minor League rehab games.
Now, he rejoins a bullpen in need of his unique skill set—tough on both lefties and righties, fearless in high-leverage spots.
“He’s experienced. He’s a guy that can come into the middle of an inning with traffic, or a clean inning, and get you three outs,” Mendoza added. “Could be in the ninth, could be in the sixth. There’s a lot of flexibility there.”
Still Got It
Since 2022, Raley has quietly been one of baseball’s most effective southpaws, posting a 2.58 ERA over 134 appearances. His 2023 campaign with the Mets featured reverse splits—he was tougher on right-handers than lefties—but his bread and butter has always been his ability to spin the baseball and control the zone.
During rehab, Raley noted his stuff felt “maybe a tick better” than before surgery—a rare statement for a pitcher his age.
That confidence and command will be vital as the Mets push toward the stretch run. With Richard Lovelady DFA’d to make room, Raley steps back into a bullpen still evaluating its final form ahead of the July 31 trade deadline.
What’s Next
The Mets may still look to add another lefty, but for now, Raley’s return gives the team a reliable, battle-tested option who’s already shown he’s willing to fight for every pitch. It’s a story of resilience, second chances, and an arm that refuses to quit.
“Quite the journey,” Raley said. “But today is cool.”
And for the Mets, it might just be the beginning of something even cooler.