Khalil Lee’s stay in the Mets organization likely concluded Monday, only days after he was accused of assaulting a former girlfriend.
The outfielder was designated for assignment by the Mets, who claimed right-handed pitcher Sam Coonrod off waivers from the Phillies to take Lee’s spot on the 40-man roster.
Lee’s roster spot with the Mets was tenuous even before allegations last week that he physically and verbally abused Kerywin Hill, a former girlfriend, in May of last year. Syracuse police issued a warrant for Lee, 24, on the charge of criminal obstruction of breath. A lawsuit filed against him by Hill alleged that Lee kicked her to the ground and choked her. Lee at the time was a player for Triple-A Syracuse.
The allegations Lee is facing were not mentioned by the Mets in the press release announcing his DFA, as MLB is investigating the matter.
Lee was acquired by the Mets before the 2021 season from the Royals in a three-way trade that also involved the Blue Jays.
Last season Lee was demoted from Syracuse to Low-A St. Lucie for a stretch to work on his hitting approach. He appeared in two games for the Mets and hit his first major league home run, against the Angels in June.
Overall he owned a .214/.330/.370 slash line in 108 games with Syracuse and St. Lucie.
Coonrod, 30, appeared in 12 games as a reliever for the Phillies last season and pitched to a 7.82 ERA. He spent 2019 and ‘20 with the Giants.
Coonrod drew attention with the Giants for his decision not to kneel alongside teammates in support of Black Lives Matter. Coonrod cited his religious faith for his stance on the matter.