Mets Manager Decides on the Starting Rotation

With Kodai Senga sidelined by a right shoulder strain, New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza has determined that Tylor Megill will take Kodai Senga’s spot in the starting rotation. In other words, Jose Butto received a Triple-A option.

The two contenders that remained were Megill and Butto, but Megill had always been the favorite. Butto had a tremendous spring, though, and made an impression.

“We’ve been saying we were going to be facing some tough conversations and this morning we had one with Butto,” Mendoza said before the Mets’ exhibition game against the Marlins. “Not only the way he’s been throwing the ball, how he goes about his business and how good of a teammate. He basically did everything we asked him to do.”

Megill, 28, played for the Mets for the majority of the previous season and has a 3.45 ERA in five appearances this spring. Megill last year had a 4.70 ERA in 25 starts. After getting sent down to Triple-A, he was more effective for the team in the second half. He had added velocity, developed a splitter, and tightened up his throwing program by the time he got to camp.

“Credit to [Megill] and the way he approached his offseason and how he prepared,” Mendoza said. “He was working on new pitches and he came ready to go, just like Butto did. The outings and the way [Megill] threw the baseball and how he was bouncing back and this is a guy who has done it. He’s got a little bit more experience than Butto and we decided to go that route.”

In his four Grapefruit League appearances this spring for the Mets, Butto, 26, has a 0.90 ERA. The New York Post reports that Mendoza informed reporters that he advised Butto to be ready when the Mets add a sixth starter to the rotation in order to give the other players more rest.