There are plenty of clouds around the Mets’ rotation, but their immediate plans have cleared up.
Adrian Houser will at least temporarily re-enter the rotation for a start in Philadelphia on Wednesday, manager Carlos Mendoza said, which will allow the club’s other starters to receive an extra day of rest.
For at least this turn, Houser will serve as a sixth starter during a turn through the rotation that does not contain an off day.
Inserting Houser pushes Jose Quintana to Thursday and gives the lefty five days of rest between starts.
In two starts on four days of rest, the 35-year-old Quintana holds a 10.57 ERA this year.
“He’s still built up,” Mendoza said of Houser, who pitched to an 8.16 ERA in six starts before falling out of the rotation and throwing two scoreless innings out of the bullpen. “Trying to find that extra day of rest for some of the guys, and he’ll be ready to go.”
Performance on Wednesday will certainly factor in, but it is possible that Houser will be making his final start for a team that will have more rotation options soon.
Tylor Megill made a fourth rehab start Sunday and “felt good,” Mendoza said, in throwing 74 pitches over 5 ¹/₃ scoreless innings with Double-A Binghamton.
Megill entered the season in the rotation because of Kodai Senga’s injury and lasted four innings before a right shoulder strain forced him to the injured list.
Without Megill, Jose Butto and Christian Scott have pitched well enough to remain in the rotation.
Houser had fallen out, but Luis Severino, Sean Manaea and Quintana (who has struggled recently) have fairly solidified spots.
Megill could join the team late this week or next weekend as a sixth rotation member to replace Houser, who would shift back to the pen. Megill also could slot in as an interesting, multi-inning bullpen arm. Alternatively, he could remain building up in the minors and serve as rotation depth.
“Everything’s on the table here,” Mendoza said before the Mets lost, 5-4, in 10 innings to the Phillies on Monday at Citi Field. “We got a decision to make in the next couple of days. We’ll see what we got this next time through.”
Drew Smith (right shoulder soreness) is expected to be activated off the IL on Tuesday, Mendoza said.
Smith made two rehab outings with Triple-A Syracuse, allowing a run in two innings Wednesday and Sunday.
David Peterson (offseason hip surgery) is expected to build up to about 75 pitches in a rehab start with Double-A Binghamton on Tuesday.
Manaea (six innings, one run) is the ninth pitcher in franchise history to allow one or zero home runs in his first eight starts with the club.
He has allowed just one dinger in 41 ¹/₃ innings.
J.D. Martinez (3-for-4 with two doubles, two RBIs and a walk) collected his first three-hit game of the season.
The Mets recalled Shintaro Fujinami from Triple-A Syracuse for the purpose of placing the righty on the 15-day IL with a right shoulder strain.
The powerful but wild Fujinami has walked 17 in 7 ²/₃ innings with Syracuse.