PHOENIX — David Peterson is out for now, but the left-hander will return to the Mets soon enough.
Needing an additional assist on Saturday, the Mets selected Peterson to Triple-A Syracuse and recalled right-hander Adonis Medina.
The shuffle came after Peterson fielded a jewel against the Diamondbacks Friday night, allowing a run to three hits and a walk for 5 ²/₃ innings. In three appearances this season, Peterson has averaged a .64 ERA. Two of those appearances were substitutes for Taijuan Walker, who is expected to return from the injured list next week.
According to manager Buck Showalter, Peterson will return to start in a doubleheader at Citi Field on May 3 against the Braves.
“He earned the right to be back and I think he understands why we had to do that [the roster move]’ Showalter said. “It’s never fun, especially when a guy throws as well as Pete, and the way things are going and the potential for Taijuan to come back to us helps our ball club.”
David Peterson AP
During this period of hot starting rosters early in the season, more than just brand names drove the Mets forward.
Talk all you want about Max Scherzer, Chris Bassitt and Carlos Carrasco, but Peterson has joined Tylor Megill as an early gift to Showalter. The Mets entered Saturday with a 2.07 ERA from their starting rotation, which ranked first in the major leagues. Megill, with a 2.20 ERA in three starts, is scheduled to field Sunday’s series finale against the Diamondbacks.
Neither Megill nor Peterson started spring training as a scheduled member of the rotation, but injuries to Jacob deGrom and Walker forced them to compete in Jobs.
“Competition can bring out the best in people, and these two guys jumped at that opportunity and rode it,” said pitching coach Jeremy Hefner. “There was no guaranteed job after spring training. It’s more of a credit to them and their work ethic and what they did during the lockout and just continued to mature as major league players.”
DeGrom, who was incapacitated by a stress reaction in his right shoulder blade, has begun testing to see if he can start throwing. In the best-case scenario, he would return to the rotation by the end of May after building his arm.
Tylor Megill Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post
But even if deGrom were to return on cue and give the team a slew of experienced starters, the Mets recognize that Megill and Peterson are needed through a long summer.
The Mets went 8th on the depth chart on Saturday when Trevor Williams started at Chase Field. The right-hander was needed because of Monday’s rain at Citi Field and Tuesday’s subsequent double-header. Williams, who was acquired at close of trade alongside Javier Baez last year, has worked primarily as a helper with the Mets. Last year he started 12 games with the Cubs.
Megill started this season with 10 ¹/₃ scoreless innings against the Nationals and Phillies before giving up four runs early in Tuesday’s first game of a double-header against the Giants. But Megill persevered and went through six innings without further damage. Last season, the right-hander posted a 4.52 ERA in 18 starts for the Mets.
Peterson had a strong rookie season in 2020 but struggled last year before making the injury list with an oblique strain in June. Before he could return, a broken foot was discovered, costing him the remainder of the season. He finished with a 5.54 ERA in 15 starts for the Mets.
“He’s fine-tuned some mechanical things and is moving a bit better,” Hefner said. “When you’re on the IL and you watch your teammates perform it makes you hungry and I think that’s true of Petey because last year he wanted to be out there with us because we felt like we were at some things and then he got hurt a couple of times.”