Tylor Megill grew to become the newest Mets pitcher to ship a strong spring debut, holding a St. Louis Cardinals lineup that includes lots of its regulars to 1 run over 2.1 innings in Tuesday’s 6-1 loss in Jupiter, Fla.
The hulking right-hander hit 98 mph together with his fastball and threw 31 of his 47 pitches for strikes.
“I feel good,” Megill mentioned afterward. “Don’t feel like I’m trying too much. Mechanics feel well. Body feels well. Ball’s coming out well.”
That adopted Monday evening’s 1-1 tie with the Miami Marlins wherein ace Kodai Senga hurled two scoreless innings — and debuted a brand new sinker — and David Peterson struck out 5 over three scoreless frames of their first appearances of the spring.
These outcomes are encouraging for a Mets rotation that’s set to start the season with Sean Manaea (proper indirect pressure) and Frankie Montas (proper lat pressure) on the injured listing.
“We feel like, as an organization, we had depth going into camp,” supervisor Carlos Mendoza mentioned on ESPN’s broadcast of Tuesday’s sport.
“We got tested right away, but yesterday was a very good day for us after watching Senga for the first time, Peterson for the first time, against other teams. They’ve been throwing live [batting practice] and things like that. Today, with Tylor Megill making his first start here.”
Hypothesis a few reunion with José Quintana got here to an finish Monday when the veteran left-hander reached a one-year, $4.25 million contract with the Milwaukee Brewers, in keeping with MLB.com.
Quintana, 36, went 10-10 with a 3.75 ERA final 12 months however stepped up throughout the Mets’ postseason push. His 0.74 ERA over his remaining six begins was the bottom by any MLB starter between Aug. 25 and the top of the common season. He didn’t permit an earned run in two of his three playoff begins.
Manaea and Montas’ accidents sophisticated the potential of the Mets starting the season with a six-man rotation that will assist replicate the schedule Senga pitched on in Japan.
Shoulder and calf strains restricted Senga to just one regular-season begin final 12 months, however he’s set to start this season within the rotation, as are Peterson and Clay Holmes.
A standard five-man rotation would go away two spots for Megill, Paul Blackburn and Griffin Canning. Megill is the one one with a minor-league possibility remaining.
Blackburn, who suffered a season-ending cerebrospinal fluid leak final 12 months, has allowed three runs over 2.1 innings this spring.
Canning held the Houston Astros scoreless over 1.2 innings in his lone spring look. The fitting-hander signed a one-year take care of the Mets after posting a 5.19 ERA over 32 appearances, together with 31 begins, with the Los Angeles Angels final season.
“We feel good with the options that we’ve got,” Mendoza mentioned. “We’ve just got to keep these guys healthy.”
INFIELD OPTIONS
Tuesday marked Brett Baty’s first begin at second base and Luisangel Acuña’s first begin at third base this spring.
Baty dealt with three groundouts. Acuña made a number of good performs, together with a leaping catch on a first-inning blooper. He additionally cleanly corralled a brief hop on a third-inning groundout.
The Mets have requested Baty, a 3rd baseman by commerce, and Acuña, a center infielder and heart fielder, to take reps at extra positions.
“It’s always a good feeling when you’ve got so many players that can give you options, not only when you’re making out a lineup but when you’re making moves in games,” Mendoza mentioned on ESPN.
The Mets are assessing their infield choices after Nick Madrigal, who was anticipated to be a bench piece, suffered a shoulder fracture.
Baty has by no means appeared at second base on the MLB degree however made 27 begins there at Triple-A Syracuse final 12 months. Acuña has not performed third base at any degree.
