Prior to the Mets' game on Monday against the Detroit Tigers, manager Carlos Mendoza gave a handful of updates on the team…
Tyrone Taylor out with hamstring tightness
Taylor is out of the lineup for a third straight game due to hamstring tightness he felt on Friday night, but the team is optimistic he won't need to go on the IL.
"On Friday night he complained about left hamstring tightness and that's why he wasn't available the past couple of nights," Mendoza said. "Feeling better today. So we'll see if he's available for us today or not. We didn't think right away that he was going be an IL situation and that's why we gave him 48 hours.
"Yeah he's been playing well, but even when he's healthy we're going to continue to play the matchups and put the guys we feel best there."
With Taylor out, trade deadline acquisition Cedric Mullins will start his third straight game in center field on Monday. Mendoza was asked if an IL stint is still possible for Taylor and said they'll need to see how he feels after running and working out.
"Well I mean we got to see, we got to push him," Mendoza said. "He's got to start running, which he was going to do today, and we'll see what we got there. They're tricky, especially for a guy that speed is part of his game and defense and all that. We just got to wait and see."
New York also recalled infielder Luisangel Acuña from Triple-A Syracuse on Monday, as Mendoza noted how the speedster saw some action at CF while in the minors and could be used in that spot defensively, especially with Taylor out.
Two more Triple-A games for Francisco Alvarez
Alvarez caught nine innings on Sunday for Triple-A Syracuse as he works his way back to the bigs following his thumb and pinky finger injuries. Mendoza said Monday that the 23-year-old will catch again the next two games for Syracuse before the team makes a decision.
"Alvarez will catch tomorrow," Mendoza said. "He has back-to-back in Triple-A, he'll catch Tuesday and Wednesday."
With Alvarez continuing to improve, it sounds possible that the catcher could rejoin the team in Cincinnati for their three-game series against the Reds over the weekend.
No plan for Kodai Senga yet
After Sunday's 5-1 loss to the Marlins, Mendoza hinted at a possible change in the starting rotation in regards to Kodai Senga. The righty struggled again in the loss and has not completed six innings of work in any of his last nine starts since returning from the IL.
“We’ve got to get him right, obviously,” Mendoza said Sunday. “I’m pretty sure we’re going to have some discussion about what’s next for him, but our job is to get him right. But it’s been a struggle, and again, we’ll see what’s next for him.”
When asked about it again Monday, Mendoza didn't say the team hasn't decided on a plan.
"No, we don't know yet," Mendoza said.
Upcoming pitching rotation
Moving to a six-man rotation with Jonah Tong getting another start, Mendoza discussed the pitching plan for later this week. The Mets have an off day on Thursday before playing a three-game series against the Reds in Cincinnati starting on Friday.
"As of right now, [David] Peterson will go Game 1 there and then we'll see where we're at," Mendoza said. "The off day helps. We got six starters. It'll be fluid, we'll be creative and go from there."
Despite Peterson's recent rough start against the Marlins, Mendoza expressed confidence in the lefty who's been one of New York's more consistent starters this year. Tong could follow him on Saturday and then that "creativity" will have to kick in if they don't turn to Senga on Sunday.
Building up Tylor Megill as a starter
Megill will make another rehab start in the minors on Tuesday as he's nearing a return to the majors, but when he does, it's unclear what his role will be.
"We'll see, the biggest thing is we have to get him healthy, which he is," Mendoza said. "We're building him up as a starter. But if we have to make an adjustment here and use him as a multiple inning guy out of the bullpen, we will do it. But right now, the plan is to build him as a starter."
Megill has been out since June 14 due to an elbow strain and has pitched well during his rehab. Over four starts (two in Double-A and two in Triple-A), he's gone 1-0 with a 1.93 ERA and 21 strikeouts across 19.0 IP. He had gone 5-5 with a 3.95 ERA over 14 starts prior to the injury.
The right-hander has started all but one game he's pitched in the majors over the last three seasons, but does have some experience pitching out of the bullpen with six appearances in 2022.
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