PHOENIX – A team that began the season with a strong starting lineup will showcase it again when Tylor Megill is recalled for a game against the White Sox on Friday.
Megill has disappointed in his two appearances with the Mets this season, but has at least shown signs of success at the major league level, which is more than many teams can say about the No. 8 or 9 starter in the rotation.
Paul Blackburn was placed on the injured list last weekend with a bruised right hand after taking the brunt of a 100 mph line drive from David Peralta in San Diego, leaving the Mets with no choice but to start Megill, who posted a 5.17 ERA in 10 appearances for the team this season.
Megill’s latest opportunity comes with Blackburn, Kodai Senga and Christian Scott on the injury list.
Another pitcher, Jose Butto, who began the season as part of the rotation, was moved to the bullpen in early July and has had such success in that role that team management decided to keep him there.
Brandon Sproat, the organization’s most promising pitcher, has struggled since being promoted to Syracuse this month, and Triple-A pitchers like Dom Hamel and Mike Vasil have not made the progress the Mets would have liked this season.
The Mets still have left-hander Joey Lucchesi, but he was deemed expendable enough to be designated for assignment in July before returning to the organization when he was not claimed off waivers.
Now, Megill, 29, is getting another chance. His skills include a 96-97 mph fastball and an impressive splitter he learned from Senga but that hasn’t brought him sustained success.
“When he’s struggling, it’s his own fault – it’s often not the other team’s fault,” said pitching coach Jeremy Hefner. “It’s like ‘walk, walk, homer.’ So you prevent the walks and then when they hit the solo home run, it’s more manageable. It also comes in spurts where he’s going easy and then he disintegrates a little bit, so you expect the hit to come and can rebound quicker than ‘I’m already hit’ and have to adjust. It’s anticipation, it’s more like the game within the game with him than anything else that goes along with it.”
At Triple-A Syracuse, Hefner said Megill has focused on efficiency so he can get deeper into games.
In five of his last six starts for the Mets, the right-hander lasted less than six innings.
“He’s throwing his fastball a little more and trying to get further in games and get strikeouts when he can get them,” Hefner said. “But the real focus has been on count control, throwing strikes, not walks, using the sinker to get early ground balls, and there’s a general refinement of all the other pitches.”
Carlos Mendoza could have optionally put Megill in the starting lineup on Thursday, but given the opponent and the left-hander’s recent success, the manager gave the job against the Diamondbacks to David Peterson.
This also allowed the Mets to keep an additional reliever on the roster until Megill is recalled.
Blackburn will miss at least two starts.
If Megill shows his ability, the Mets could still consider him as part of a six-man rotation or for a long-term relief role in the bullpen after Blackburn returns.
“For where we are in the season and what lies ahead, it’s hugely important for a guy like Megill to step up and fill that void,” Hefner said. “I don’t know how long he’s going to be here, nobody knows. But if he gets five or six more starts and has a throwing arm like that, then he’s got a chance. He’s shown periods of dominance in the major leagues and we expect him to do the same.”
