Nathan Lavender completed an inspiring baseball journey to the majors on Tuesday, Aug. 4 when he was called up by the New York Mets.
The former El Paso-Gridley and University of Illinois star joins the Mets for their road game in Cleveland on Tuesday night.
The 6-foot-2, 215-pound left-handed reliever underwent an internal brace procedure – a variation of Tommy John surgery – early in the 2024 season and has been on the comeback trail.
He has posted a 3.27 ERA and two saves in 25 appearances this season at Syracuse of the Class AAA International League, capping a five-year grind up the minor-league ladder.
His MiLB career includes a 12-9 record with a 2.97 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 15 saves in 111 appearances.
Lavender, 26, was chosen by the Mets in the 14th round of the 2021 MLB Draft.
He played parts of three seasons for the Fighting Illini, after a high school career at El Paso-Gridley that included four letters, all-conference and all-state honors in 2017. He was ranked the No. 5 lefty pitcher by Illinois Prep Baseball Report.
He is from a baseball family, his father, Jim, having played at Marian College, his uncle, Darrin Frye, also playing at Marian and his cousin, Ryan Frye, at Evangel University.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Former Illinois pitcher Nathan Lavender completes baseball journey with call-up by Mets
Reporting by Dave Eminian, Peoria Journal Star / Journal Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Dave Eminian, Peoria Journal Star | USA TODAY Network
