The New York Mets made sure to have lots of pitching depth on their roster this offseason.
Besides the five projected starters – Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander, Kodai Senga, Jose Quintana, and Carlos Carrasco – they also have David Peterson, Joey Lucchesi, Elieser Hernandez, Jose Butto and Tylor Megill.
They know their rotation is old and injury-prone.
In fact, Quintana just went down with a back problem, and will need a temporary replacement in the rotation.
Peterson is now expected to function as the fifth starter during Quintana’s absence.
He took a come-backer off the left foot during a Grapefruit League appearance last Saturday against the Marlins, but is fine.
Peterson explained how he talked with Mets manager Buck Showalter, who asked him to stay ready in case he received a chance.
That’s exactly what happened.
“‘There’s been a lot of attention as to the average age of our starting rotation. The likelihood of those 5 guys making 30 starts each is highly unlikely,'” SNY tweeted, with some of Peterson’s quotes.
"There's been a lot of attention as to the average age of our starting rotation. The likelihood of those 5 guys making 30 starts each is highly unlikely."
David Peterson on José Quintana's injury and any conversations he had with Buck Showalter on staying ready: pic.twitter.com/YvrEwFmnkd
— SNY (@SNYtv) March 7, 2023
He is not taking a shot at anybody; instead, he is describing a reality: no team has five starters with at least 30 outings or more.
Injuries happen, and so do suspensions, demotions, and other variables.
That opens lots of doors for people like Peterson: talented pitchers without a clear path towards some innings.
After Quintana’s injury, Peterson is expected to take on a larger role for the Mets.
He was very good last year, with a 3.83 ERA, a 1.33 WHIP, and a 126/48 K/BB ratio across 105 2/3 innings (28 appearances, 19 starts).
He is not an ace, but could blossom into a reliable middle-of-the-rotation innings eater as soon as this year.
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