Yohan Ramirez began serving a two-game suspension Monday, after his initial penalty was reduced by MLB.
The Mets reliever a day earlier chose to appeal the three-game suspension he received after he was ejected for throwing behind Rhys Hoskins on Saturday.
Ramirez said the pitch was unintentional.
In Friday’s season opener, Hoskins slid late into second base and spiked Jeff McNeil, prompting both benches to empty without punches thrown.
Manager Carlos Mendoza served a one-game suspension Sunday for Ramirez’s pitch behind Hoskins and returned to the dugout for Monday’s 5-0, 10-inning loss to the Tigers at Citi Field.
The Mets will have to play short until Ramirez’s suspension concludes. But with Tylor Megill placed on the injured list Monday with a low-grade shoulder strain, the Mets bolstered the bullpen by recalling reliever Reed Garrett.
Ramirez pitched three innings in the Mets’ 4-1 loss to the Brewers on Sunday and likely wouldn’t have been available again until at least Wednesday. It’s likely Ramirez’s outing Sunday was extended with the idea the suspension was imminent.
McNeil was on the bench for a scheduled rest, giving Joey Wendle his first start for the Mets, at second base.
Wendle, who went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts and made an error in the field, was the last position player on the team’s Opening Day roster to get into a game.
Mendoza moved Francisco Alvarez into the cleanup spot in McNeil’s absence. In a lineup that has struggled over the first four games of the season, Alvarez (6-for-14 with one homer) has been a bright spot.
“It’s good to see, not only him getting results but the at-bats,” Mendoza said. “This is a guy that is taking tough pitches in pitchers’ counts. When he gets behind in counts he gets back on again and gets to 3-2 and then when he gets his pitches he’s putting good swings on it.”
Kodai Senga threw for a second straight day on Monday, his first time going back-to-back in his rehab from a right shoulder strain.
The expectation is that Senga won’t pitch for the Mets before June.
The Mets are 0-4 for the first time since 2005 (when the team started with five straight losses).