The New York Mets are desperate to break their 12-game losing streak, so they've made some big pitching moves.
The New York Mets shuffled pitching chairs as they continued their baseball imitation of the Titanic, demoting David Peterson to join the bullpen as they brought up Christian Scott to join the rotation. Kodai Sengal will also be moved back in the rotation as Scott makes his first start on Thursday, with the moves reported by Anthony DiComo of MLB.com.
The moves reflect the level of desperation and the heat the team is feeling right now, but they also speak to where this season might be heading as the losing streak continues. If the Mets are going to continue to dig themselves a hole they might not be able to climb out of, why not give players like Scott a shot?
“The way Scott has been throwing the ball the past couple of outings in the Minor Leagues, we knew it was just going to be a matter of time that he was going to be helping us here at the big-league club,” manager Carlos Mendoza said before Tuesday's against the Twins. “And here we are, giving him that opportunity. He earned it, and we’re excited about that.”
Scott was once a young pitching prospect whose name was mentioned in the same sentences as Nolan McLean, but Tommy John surgery derailed his development and he hasn’t pitched in a major league game since 2024, when he posted a 4.56 ERA over nine starts. He came to spring training healthy, but the Mets slow-crawled his buildup during camp in the minors to make sure he stayed that way.
Scott has pitched particularly well in his last two starts, striking out 12 hitters in 10-1/3 innings while allowing just two earned runs.
"He’s a competitor,” Mendoza said. “Getting out of spring training, we knew it was going to be a matter of time, and we just feel like he’s ready to do it now.”
The last part of that quote is disingenuous, to say the least. GM David Stearns gambled that moving Peterson, Senga and Clay Holmes to the back of the rotation might help improve the overall production, but Peterson and Senga have been a big part of the losing streak.
Peterson’s situation remains in flux, however. Mendoza said his workload would depend on “game situations,” as well as on the health of the other starters.
“It’ll continue to be fluid,” Mendoza said. “We’ve got a lot of healthy starters, but we’re going to stick to five here.”
This might not be the only move coming, either. Jonah Tong is starting to figure it out at Triple-A Syracuse, and it could be just a matter of time before he’s a part of this rotation overhaul as well.