The New York Mets’ hand will soon be forced. In the coming weeks, they may have seven quality pitchers, for just five available rotation spots, and could be left to make a tough decision.
It’s a good problem to have, as each of the Mets’ regular starters hold winning records this season. There’s a world where they extend their rotation to six, but if not, one of those studs could be looking at a bullpen role or a demotion to the minor leagues.
While nothing is official, one thing seems certain after Wednesday: David Peterson won’t be on the outside looking in.
Peterson pitched a six-hitter for the first nine-inning complete game of his professional career, to help lift the Mets over the Washington Nationals 5-0 for their fifth straight win.
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Peterson improved to 5-2 on the season. He also holds a 2.80 earned run average, the lowest of his career, and has allowed just four home runs on the season. Over the last month, Peterson’s been especially effective recording a 2.58 ERA and 35 strikeouts over 38.1 innings. He’s gone at least 5.2 innings in each of his last six starts.
It’s the perfect time for Peterson to be taking it up a notch as a roster spot could potentially be on the line, and he’s one of two starting pitchers on the Mets with eligibility to return to the minors — the other being Tylor Megill.
His spot could be in jeopardy because Frankie Montas and Sean Manaea are nearing a return.
Both Montas and Manaea will make minor league rehab appearances this weekend and both could join the New York Mets’ rotation in the coming weeks. Montas will make a fifth rehab start Friday and Manaea will take the mound two days later for his third, manager Carlos Mendoza said Wednesday.
Mendoza said he isn’t worried about how to sort out seven pitchers for five rotation slots when Montas and Manaea both get back.
“Usually it plays itself out,” Mendoza said. “We still are at least two weeks away from making those decisions and I’m hoping that by the time we get there it is going to be a difficult decision. That means everyone’s healthy. That means everybody continues to throw the ball well and we have some good problems.”
Montas strained a lat muscle early in spring training and made his first minor league appearance on May 24. The 32-year-old right-hander has a 9.00 ERA in two games each for Class-A Brooklyn and Triple-A Syracuse, striking out nine and walking eight in 12 innings. After his next outing for Syracuse, he could make his Mets debut.
“Let’s get through this one on Friday and then we’ll see where we’re at,” Mendoza said. “This is kind of like spring training for him and hitters now are like midseason form. And it’s hard to put too much into it where, you’re not game-planning, you’re just going out there, which I think we’ve got to do a better job of that, in preparing him and giving him a little bit of an idea.”
Manaea arrived at spring training with a strained right oblique and the 33-year-old left-hander made his first rehab appearance on June 6. He has a 6.23 ERA in two outings and 4 1/3 innings with Brooklyn, and Mendoza didn’t specify where Manaea will make his next appearance.
New York entered Wednesday with the best record in the National League at 43-24, leading the NL East by 4 1/2 games. Clay Holmes, Kodai Senga, Griffin Canning, Peterson and Megill have combined to make 63 of 67 starts for a rotation that began the day with a big league-best 2.91 ERA.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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