PITTSBURGH — As Tylor Megill prepares to pitch Thursday for Triple-A Syracuse — a step up in weight class in his minor league rehab assignment — Mets officials are trying to deduce how the right-hander might best fit as he transitions to a reliever.
Is Megill a one-inning pitcher who can be utilized on back-to-back days? Does he need a day between appearances? Can he be utilized in a multi-inning role?
These are questions under consideration as the team prepares to potentially add a high-upside arm to a bullpen that could use depth options.
Megill was placed on the injured list on June 17 with a right shoulder strain and started a rehab assignment for Double-A Binghamton last week. In two appearances with Binghamton he struck out all six batters he faced.
“Everything looks really good,” Pitching coach Jeremy Hefner said Tuesday before the Mets’ 8-2 loss to the Pirates at PNC Park. “He feels strong and he is recovering well, which is the most important thing when you are on rehab, is how you respond, so everything is trending the right way.”
Megill had a strong start to the season in the Mets rotation during Jacob deGrom’s absence before hitting the IL in May with biceps tendinitis. He struggled in two starts after his return before moving back to the IL. Overall he is 4-2 with a 5.01 ERA in nine starts for the Mets this season with 47 strikeouts in 41 ¹/₃ innings.
“He strikes people out, so those tend to make good relievers,” Hefner said. “You miss bats and there is less chance of a ball being put in play so any adjustment from starter to reliever is warming up before you come in the game and then the unknown of when you are actually going to pitch. All those things can be learned over time, so that is part of his process now.”
Megill and Drew Smith (who is recovering from a lat strain) have been told they will have to earn their way back to the major league roster. Left-hander Joey Lucchesi is another bullpen option as he prepares for a move to Double-A Binghamton in his rehab from Tommy John surgery.
“There is some level of performance they have to have because our group right now is strong and that has been the messaging to them,” Hefner said. “This isn’t, ‘Go down and do your rehab and you are automatically on the roster.’ We’re in a pennant hunt right now so performance matters.”
The Mets entered Tuesday with a bullpen that included Edwin Diaz, Adam Ottavino, Seth Lugo, Joely Rodriguez, Tommy Hunter, Mychal Givens, Trevor Williams and Bryce Montes de Oca, with Trevor May sidelined by COVID.
Megill, at earliest, could join the Mets on their homestand next week.
“Do we try to build him up to multiple innings or do we give him a back-to-back?” Hefner said. “Can we achieve either one of those here? I think checking either one of those boxes in his rehab and do the other one when he gets here. We are sort of in between right now, we are just seeing how he responds and then we’ll kind of adjust his program as we get closer.”
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