NEW YORK -- The first-place New York Mets added some much-needed punch at designated hitter Friday, acquiring Daniel Vogelbach from the Pittsburgh Pirates in a trade for rookie reliever Colin Holderman.
The burly Vogelbach, a left-handed hitter and an All-Star in 2019 with Seattle, was batting .228 with 12 home runs, 34 RBIs and a .769 OPS in 75 games with the struggling Pirates.
New York, which began the day with a 2 1/2-game lead in the NL East over defending World Series champion Atlanta, has gotten little production at DH from J.D. Davis and Dominic Smith.
The 26-year-old Holderman is 4-0 with a 2.04 ERA and 18 strikeouts in 15 appearances covering 17 2/3 innings. Opponents are batting .186 against him.
