The Mets made a flurry of roster moves on Friday, but one was certainly much more surprising than the rest. According to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com, the Mets have sent right-handed pitcher Christian Scott down to Triple-A Syracuse.
Why the Mets elected to option Christian Scott
Scott is coming off a solid start against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday, pitching five innings while allowing four hits, two runs, a walk and striking out four. Overall, the 24-year-old has pitched 27.2 innings across five starts to a 3.90 ERA with a 1.084 WHIP and 25 strikeouts.
While optioning Scott may come as a surprise to many of the Flushing Faithful, there is plenty of reasoning behind it. The Mets currently don’t need a full rotation due to their upcoming two-game series in London against the Philadelphia Phillies. The blue and orange will have two off days beforehand and another once they return to the United States.
Therefore, the Mets are better off using Scott’s roster spot on a bullpen arm. The pen has been taxed lately and just lost two key contributors: Edwin Díaz and Jorge López.
The other is to limit the 24-year-old’s innings. Scott threw a career-high 87.2 innings across three minor league levels last season. The right-hander is likely going to be capped around 125 innings, especially with the Mets unlikely to play October baseball, which will allow them to potentially pitch Scott into September.
Expect Scott to return to the major league roster by the middle of June.
Who is coming up for Scott?
Taking Scott’s spot on the roster is relief pitcher Dedniel Núñez. Núñez, who had spent years in the minor leagues, made his big league debut this season and has performed well. The 27-year-old has pitched 8.1 innings across five appearances to a 3.24 ERA with a 1.200 WHIP and 13 strikeouts. The Mets’ bullpen has struggled this season, so if Núñez can perform, the Dominican Republic native could carve himself a role for the rest of the season.