QUEENS, NY — New York Mets reliever Reed Garrett is scheduled to make his first rehab outing on Saturday with Triple-A Syracuse, manager Carlos Mendoza disclosed on Wednesday before his team’s series finale with the Minnesota Twins.
The 31-year-old right-hander has been shelved on the 15-day injured list since July 10 with elbow inflammation that was seen as a best-case scenario when he first encountered the issue.
He had thrown multiple bullpen sessions and faced live batters for the first time on Wednesday morning. His fastball topped out at 97 mph.
“He looked really good,” Mendoza said of Garrett’s session. “His fastball was good… Another good step. He’s getting close.”
It is unclear how many rehab outings Garrett will need in the minors. A strong showing on Saturday might just be all he needs — at least that is what Mendoza hinted at, saying, “We have a decision to make after that.”
Garrett is 7-3 with a 3.64 ERA in 36 appearances this season, though that number was bloated by his final appearance before the injury on July 9 against the Washington Nationals in which he yielded three earned runs in two-thirds of an inning. It swelled his ERA from 3.05 to its current mark.
Upon his return, Garrett will be re-submitted into a very different-looking Mets bullpen. Since he went on the injured list, the team parted with Adrian Houser and Jake Diekman while acquiring Phil Maton, Ryne Stanek, and Huascar Brazoban. Tyler Zuber, another reliever, was picked up from the Tampa Bay Rays and optioned to Triple-A.
“Now there’s a lot of options there, guys who can throw back-to-back, guys who can get righties, lefties, guys who can go multiple innings,” Mendoza said. “There’s a lot more flexibility there, a few more options.”
Paul Blackburn debuting Friday, Tylor Megill to bullpen for now
Starting pitcher Paul Blackburn, acquired just before the trade deadline on Tuesday from the Oakland Athletics for pitching prospect Kade Morris, will make his Mets debut on Friday in Anaheim against the Los Angeles Angels.
The 30-year-old right-hander was with the A’s across the Bay in San Francisco taking on the Giants when he was dealt, making it the logical move to keep him out west and meet up with his new club when they arrive out there later this week.
The decision to start him for the series opener Friday was made all the more easy considering he was already in line to pitch that day for the Athletics. David Peterson will get the ball on Saturday before Jose Quintana gets the series finale.
With a five-man rotation in place with Blackburn’s arrival, Tylor Megill was demoted to the bullpen at least for Wednesday’s game against Minnesota. After that, his role is a toss-up as they decide whether or not to go to a six-man rotation.
“He’ll be fine… He adjusted well [when he was flexed to the bullpen last year],” Mendoza said. “It’s just a different routine and we’ll treat it the same way we’ve been doing it with some of those who came from the rotation to the bullpen. [Jose] Butto is a perfect example there.”
Butto began the season as a starting option but has since excelled as a long reliever. He has a 1.08 ERA in eight relief outings this season but Mendoza does not want to make his path a permanent option for Megill, at least as of yet.
“We see [Megill] as a starter but then we could also see him going in the bullpen,” Mendoza said. “You never know, he might throw 100mph there. The velo is there and he has so many pitches, so many weapons. If you’re shooting for an inning or two, it comes down to how well he is going to bounce back… [But] as of right now the plan is to keep him stretched out.”
