CLEVELAND — Jefry Yan, a left-handed reliever known for his exuberant strikeout celebrations, was called up to the New York Mets from Triple-A Syracuse on Monday, marking the 29-year-old’s first opportunity to pitch in Major League Baseball. Yan’s journey to the majors has been marked by persistence and unconventional challenges, including a five-year hiatus from professional baseball.

Originally signed at 17 by the Los Angeles Angels, Yan played two seasons in the Dominican Summer League before undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2016. Following the procedure, a disagreement with the Angels over his minor league assignment led to Yan being placed on the restricted list, effectively sidelining him from affiliated baseball for several years. During this period, he worked various manual labor jobs in the Arizona desert, including roofing, construction, landscaping, and furniture delivery, all while continuing to train and pitch in semi-professional leagues.

“I used to have a lot of friends there, a lot of Mexicans that I worked with and they always told me, ‘Don’t give up, you can make it to where you want to be,’” Yan said through a translator. His workdays often began early and lasted into the afternoon, after which he would dedicate time to training. “It was rinse and repeat, each day for those five years,” he added.

Yan returned to professional baseball in 2019 after his release from the Angels, signing a minor league deal with the Miami Marlins and advancing to Triple-A. He later pitched in Japan’s Pacific League in 2024 and spent a season with the Colorado Rockies' minor league system before signing with the Mets. This season, Yan split time between Double-A Binghamton and Triple-A Syracuse, posting a 3.24 ERA with 77 strikeouts over 41 2/3 innings. His fastball, often reaching triple digits, and a 19.2 strikeout-per-nine-innings rate earned him the call-up as the Mets reshuffled their bullpen.

Yan’s pitching style is accompanied by theatrical strikeout celebrations—leaps, twirls, and jump-splits—that have made him a social media favorite. While such displays are a norm in Caribbean and Latin American baseball cultures, Major League Baseball has traditionally discouraged overt on-field celebrations out of respect for the game’s unwritten rules. Yan insists his enthusiasm is not meant to show disrespect and emphasizes that he plays with the eagerness of a child enjoying the game. Mets interim manager Andy Green acknowledged the difference in cultural perspectives but noted that Yan’s celebrations have been generally well-received due to his positive reputation and genuine approach.

“I worry far less than 20 years ago when I came up,” Green said. “People have accepted that he’s a good-natured human enjoying playing baseball.”

Yan expressed excitement about his promotion and ambitions in the majors. “I am going to enjoy that first [strikeout],” he said. “I have worked a long time for that moment.”

Also on the Mets’ pitching staff, Kodai Senga, recently moved to a long-relief role, is expected to take on high-leverage, one-inning appearances, reflecting the team’s evolving bullpen strategy. Senga demonstrated effectiveness in this role during a scoreless ninth inning against the Cleveland Guardians on Tuesday.

Yan’s rise to the majors comes nearly 12 years after signing his first professional contract and stands as a testament to his perseverance through setbacks and hardships, both on and off the field.