Williams (0-1) got tagged with the loss Sunday against the Nationals, giving up two unearned runs on two hits in one inning of relief.
Mets manager Buck Showalter said before the game he wanted to find work for his two bullpen arms -- Williams and Chasen Shreve -- that hadn't pitched yet this season, and he stuck to his guns even with the team clinging to a 2-1 lead heading into the eighth inning. Shreve, who had relieved Carlos Carrasco back in the sixth, gave up a leadoff single, and rather than turn to high-leverage relievers like Seth Lugo, Trevor May or Adam Ottavino, Showalter instead handed the ball to Williams. The result was a three-run Nats rally. The right-hander got no help from his defense, but the outing still reinforced that Williams is a better fit for middle relief and lower-leverage spots. He had zero wins, saves or holds last year in 10 appearances for the Mets in 2021 after coming over from the Pirates.