UPDATE: Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com and Anthony DiComo of MLB.com confirm Matz will be promoted and join the Mets' rotation this weekend as the team plans to use some form of a six-man rotation.
The New York Mets received a huge wake-up call after their recent seven-game losing streak. It appears they'll be promoting another top prospect to help get the team back on track.
New York is calling up prospect left-hander Steven Matz, a source told FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal. The 24-year-old is 7-4 with a 2.19 ERA, 1.107 WHIP and 94 strikeouts in 15 games (14 starts) at Triple-A Las Vegas this season. He struck out eight batters in five innings during his most recent outing on Tuesday, and the timing couldn't have been better.
However, the promotion is not confirmed Rosenthal notes. Two different club officials declined to comment on the subject when asked and Rosenthal said more will be known later today.
Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com also said "team officials have been tight-lipped about the report."
It's possible the Mets are considering going with a six-man rotation again to provide more rest for starters Matt Harvey and Jacob deGrom. The team was using six starters before they optioned Dillon Gee to Triple-A Las Vegas. The right-hander was 0-3 with a 5.90 ERA in eight games (seven starts).
Rumors speculated Matz could soon earn a promotion in the wake of the move.
If the Mets are indeed promoting Matz, it wouldn't at all be a surprise. General manager Sandy Alderson previously said the left-hander didn't have much more to prove in the minors and he was an "equally deserving candidate" to earn a promotion back when the team called up Noah Syndergaard in mid-May.
There has been much attention on the Mets as of late. They've relinquished the NL East lead after a seven-game losing streak, which they snapped today against the Milwaukee Brewers, and their offense has been unable to support the pitching staff. Many believe the team needs to make a trade to improve the offense before the deadline, but it's unknown if that will happen.
In fact, at this point, Joel Sherman of the New York Post hears the team is not making a trade right now, so Matz's promotion will be to add another arm in the rotation.
Look for Matz to make his MLB debut within the next few days and keep an eye on the Mets throughout the month of July. If their offense continues to struggle and David Wright isn't back by then, it's more than likely they make a trade.
