Prior to Sunday afternoon’s matchup with the Miami Marlins, Mets skipper Carlos Mendoza provided a roster update while also mapping out the starting rotation to begin the season.
Reliever Dedniel Núñez, who suffered a strained flexor tendon in late July that ended his rookie season prematurely, has been optioned to Triple-A Syracuse.
While Núñez proved himself as one of the Mets’ most valuable relievers in 2024 before the injury, posting a 2.31 ERA, Mendoza explained that the Mets need to build him up more before he’s ready to go in potential four- or five-out situations.
Mendoza said it would be “unfair” to Núñez to ask him to do that before he’s properly built up.
“We explained the whole situation with him and he understood, and once he’s ready to go, he’ll be back here,” Mendoza said, noting that the right-hander had an option.
With Núñez starting the season in Syracuse, Max Kranick and Huascar Brazoban are two options to take his spot in the bullpen.
Tylor Megill to start Game 2 of regular season, initial five-man rotation set
Mendoza announced that Tylor Megill will start the second game of the regular season for the Mets in Houston.
“Megill earned it. He came into camp on a mission,” Mendoza said. “He went out there and earned it. He did a lot of the things that we were asking, staring with throwing strikes and attacking hitters, and he did that. Stuff is elite, so yeah, he earned it.”
While the Mets will still need to see how all of their pitchers finish the spring health-wise, the current plan is to have Griffin Canning start the third game, followed by David Peterson and Kodai Senga. Clay Holmes has already been announced as the Opening Day starter.
That would also mean that Megill is on pace to start the Mets’ home opener against the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday, April 4.
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