Mets 'puzzled' by Tylor Megill's deep Triple-A struggles
Tylor Megill #38 of the Mets looks on during the second inning against the Colorado Rockies at Citi Field on Saturday, May 6, 2023 in the Queens borough of New York City. Credit: Jim McIsaac
BOSTON — Tylor Megill’s season has gotten worse — and weirder — since the Mets demoted him to the minor leagues last month.
In five starts with Triple-A Syracuse, he has struggled immensely, posting a 10.29 ERA, 2.00 WHIP and .356 opponents’ batting average. He has eight strikeouts in 21 innings.
After another ugly outing Sunday, in which Megill gave up five runs in 3 1/3 innings, manager Buck Showalter admitted that the Mets don’t know what to make of it.
Megill was a staple of the major-league rotation in the early portion of this season and last — and, theoretically, he is a piece of the 2024 puzzle. But not if he is pitching like this.
“It’s something that we’re puzzled by,” Showalter said. “But we’ve gotta figure it out, because he’s a good pitcher. We’ve seen it.”
Megill is healthy, Showalter said. But so extreme are his problems that the Mets have mulled pulling him from game action altogether so he could spend time at their high-tech pitching lab, new this year, at their facility in Port St. Lucie, Florida.
“Everybody is trying to figure it out. A lot of good people are trying to figure it out,” Showalter said. “We have the system down in St. Lucie up and running, the lab. There’s been some talk about different pitchers, taking a look at them in that capacity.”
Megill, who turns 28 this week, had a 5.17 ERA in 15 starts before the Mets bumped him from the majors.
Showalter mentioned that the run-scoring environment in Triple-A this year — at least partially a product of MLB experimenting with automated strike zone systems — has led to high ERAs across the board. But it doesn’t entirely explain whatever is happening with Megill.
“There’s a lot more to it than that. But we gotta figure it out,” he said. “Everybody is looking for it. We know it’s there. He feels good. He’s not getting people out.”
Pham update
Tommy Pham, still dealing with a right groin injury, said he plans to return to the Mets’ lineup Tuesday when they play the Yankees.
He has started just four games in the two weeks since getting hurt, but Showalter said the Mets don’t regret not putting Pham on the injured list at the time.
“He’s worth waiting on,” Showalter said. “We had to be careful about, all of a sudden you IL him and then two days later he’s able to play. You’re sitting there eight days without him.”
Extra bases
Starling Marte (migraines) has “had three good days,” a feat that most notably features a lack of migraines. He is eligible to return from the injured list Thursday . . . Luis Guillorme (right calf strain) is due for tests Monday. That will tell the tests how serious of an injury he sustained Saturday . . . Probable pitchers for the Subway Series at Yankee Stadium this week: Justin Verlander versus Domingo German on Tuesday, followed by Jose Quintana versus Carlos Rodon on Wednesday.
Tim Healey is the Mets beat writer for Newsday. Born on Long Island and raised in Connecticut, Tim has previously worked for the South Florida Sun Sentinel, the Boston Globe and MLB.com. He is also the author of “Hometown Hardball,” a book about minor league baseball in the northeast.
