Tylor Megill sent to Triple-A as Mets deal with bullpen issues
Tylor Megill of the Mets pitches during the first inning against the Astros at Citi Field on Saturday. Credit: Jim McIsaac
Tylor Megill didn’t go deep enough on Saturday, so he had to go to Triple-A on Sunday.
The Mets optioned Megill to Syracuse after the righthander went 5 1⁄3 innings in Saturday’s 9-6 loss to the Astros. Megill, handed a 6-1 lead, left with the score 6-4, but the Mets’ beleaguered bullpen couldn’t hold it and the club needed fresh arms for Sunday’s series finale.
The Mets are a man short in the bullpen as Edwin Diaz serves his 10-game sticky-stuff suspension that ends Saturday. They also are without the injured Brooks Raley, Drew Smith and Sean Reid-Foley. Only Reid-Foley is expected back this season.
The Mets also sent down lefthander Danny Young, who gave up two runs Saturday. They called up relievers Matt Festa, 31, and Tyler Jay, 30.
Festa, a righthander from Brooklyn, had a 4.32 ERA in 89 appearances with Seattle from 2018-23. He was the losing pitcher Sunday in the Mets’ 10-5, 11-inning defeat after allowing five runs (four earned) and four hits in the 11th.
Jay, a lefty, made his big-league debut April 11 with the Mets and appeared in two games.
“Where we’re at bullpen-wise, it’s day-to-day,” Carlos Mendoza said. “We have Plan A, B and C, and we’ll adjust accordingly.”
Mendoza said the Mets will insert a new starter — probably Jose Butto or Christian Scott — on Wednesday in Washington.
Megill is 2-4 with a 5.08 ERA in eight starts. Mendoza said he will work on some things as a starter in Triple-A. “It’s just basically trusting his stuff,” he said. “Staying on the attack and trying to put hitters away as quickly as possible so he can go deep into games.”
The Mets could pull the same send-’em-down-after-he-starts maneuver with David Peterson on Monday if they need more fresh bullpen arms.
Kodai Senga (shoulder) threw a bullpen session and is expected to make his first minor-league rehab start Wednesday or Thursday, Mendoza said.
Anthony Rieber covers baseball, as well as the NFL, NBA and NHL. He has worked at Newsday since Aug. 31, 1998, and has been in his current position since July 5, 2004.