Tylor Megill optioned to Triple-A Syracuse
Tylor Megill optioned to Triple-A Syracuse
After his short but not terrible outing against the Astros, Tylor Megill was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse, according to MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo. The Mets have not yet announced a corresponding move, but it is widely speculated to be a bullpen arm to help with the overworked and understaffed relief corps.
Megill has been the least effective member of the Mets’ rotation since returning from injury on May 20th. Aside from an excellent seven inning start against the Dodgers that ended in a hard-luck loss, Megill has not thrown more than five and a third innings in any outing this season. While he’s still striking out batters at a good clip (11.5/9 this season), he hasn’t been able to limit the damage. Unlike teammate Sean Manaea, who similarly hasn’t gone very deep into games, Megill hasn’t been able to limit the damage, evidenced by Megill’s ERA being more than a full point higher than Manaea’s.
The Mets have been playing shorthanded since Edwin Díaz’s sticky-stuff suspension, and so the thought is that the Mets will use the extra roster spot for another reliever. With both Brooks Raley and Drew Smith likely out for the season, the Mets’ bullpen is without some of its major pieces. And, with the bullpen being overworked this series already - and with no day off until the All-Star break - the team could really use a bullpen arm.
Christian Scott or José Buttó will likely be called upon to make Megill’s next start, currently scheduled for Thursday against the Nationals, and Megill could be back with the team as soon as the second Nationals series of July if the team feels he’s needed.
With Megill’s strikeout talent and with multiple pitchers who seem better suited for the rotation, this may be a time to transition Megill into a relief pitcher for the rest of 2024. While working out of the bullpen in September/October of 2022, Megill was perfectly cromulent, giving up seven hits in six innings, while striking out four and walking two.