The New York Mets fell to the San Diego Padres on Wednesday night after running into starter James Shields. It wasn't a good return for Dillon Gee, who made his first start since hitting the disabled list a month ago with a groin strain.
New York is now going with a six-man rotation as they plan to keep Noah Syndergaard at the MLB level and continue to use Gee and Jon Niese for as long as they can. However, they do have another option at Triple-A Las Vegas.
"In a performance that only will increase the clamor for the Mets to promote stud lefty Steven Matz to the major leagues, Gee threw four-plus brutal innings, sending the Mets to a 7-3 loss at Petco Park," writes Mike Puma of the New York Post.
"If the Mets really need a sixth man, Matz - who is dominating the Pacific Coast League - might be the better option than Gee. The 24-year-old Matz is 6-3 with a 1.98 ERA in 11 appearances for Triple-A Las Vegas and has left little doubt within the organization he is ready for the next step."
Gee was tagged for seven runs (four earned) on eight hits and one walk over four innings of work against the Pads.
However, Gee has only made six starts (34 1/3 innings) this season and the Mets failed to get the right-hander wins in three outings where he gave up two earned runs or less. He's 0-3 with a 4.46 ERA and 1.456 WHIP on the year, but perhaps he needs some more time to get in a rhythm. His first two starts of the year were poor, but he rebounded to maintain a 1.83 ERA and 1.32 WHIP in his next three before hitting the DL.
The Mets may need to worry more about Niese, who is 3-5 with a 4.42 ERA and 1.579 WHIP in 10 starts (57 innings). After three solid starts to begin the 2015 season, the left-hander has been 1-5 in his last seven starts with a 5.77 ERA and 1.59 WHIP.
Trade rumors surrounded both Gee and Niese during the offseason, but now it's going to be harder to deal either of them before the deadline if these performances persist. Niese will be especially difficult to trade because he's owed $9 million next season, while Gee enters his final year of arbitration eligibility in the offseason.
"With Dillon Gee returning from the disabled list, the Mets already have a six-man rotation, which means that it's going to take a trade, an injury, or a relegation of one of their current starters for the team to have the opportunity to call up Matz," says FOX Sports.
Matz could very well become impatient as he continues to face lesser competition in the minors, but that doesn't seem to be an issue for New York at the moment.
"Mets officials are not concerned the 24-year-old Matz will grow frustrated waiting for a promotion and it will potentially affect his performance," Puma added earlier in the week.
"I think he realizes, he sees everybody that is up there and knows there is no place to put him," an organizational source said. "If he was going to lose interest, he would have lost it, I think, three or four starts ago."
Matz's pitch count has been limited to 77 and 79 in his last two starts because the Mets want to preserve him for the MLB. It's only a matter of time.