Mets bring Soler to The Show

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Mets bring Soler to The Show
05/21/2006 1:43 AM ET
By Daren Smith / MLB.com

After reaching out to Triple-A Norfolk in recent weeks for a pair of veteran pitchers, the New York Mets have turned to Double-A Binghamton and one of their top prospects.
The Mets, looking to fill a void in their starting rotation, recalled right-hander Alay Soler on Saturday night and plan to give the 26-year-old his Major League debut next week.
Soler defected from Cuba in 2003 and signed with New York in August 2004. He made his professional debut this season, going 2-0 with a 0.64 ERA in five starts with Class A Advanced St. Lucie.
Before his May 3 promotion to the Eastern League, Soler told MiLB.com, "I'm ready to pitch anywhere. Wherever the team wants me to pitch, I'll pitch."
In Binghamton, he pitched at least six innings and gave up three runs or fewer in all three of his starts. The 6-foot-1, 240-pounder was 1-0 with a 2.75 ERA for the B-Mets, limiting opponents to a .222 batting average. In 19 2/3 innings, he allowed 16 hits and three walks while striking out 22.
Injuries to rookie Brian Bannister and veteran Victor Zambrano forced the Mets to turn to journeymen Jose Lima and Jeremi Gonzalez to fill spots in the rotation. Lima went 0-3 with an 8.79 ERA in three starts before he was designated for assignment on Friday. Gonzalez has a 10.13 ERA in two starts.
Soler was one of a handful of options open to the Mets. So was Mike Pelfrey, who failed to escape the first inning in his start for Binghamton on Saturday night. The former first-round draft pick gave up two unearned runs on two hits and three walks, throwing 39 pitches and retiring just two batters.
This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.