MINNEAPOLIS -- The Mets had their starting pitching all planned out. Then Griffin Canning got sick.
Hours before their 6-3 loss to the Twins on Tuesday, the Mets scratched Canning from his scheduled Wednesday start, resulting in a cascade of effects. The team made plans to call up right-hander Justin Hagenman, who could either start Wednesday¡¯s series finale or pitch in relief behind an opener.
Initially, the Mets wanted to insert a sixth starter into their rotation on Friday to give Kodai Senga an extra day of rest before his next start. Canning¡¯s illness forced them to make that move two days early, taking top prospects Brandon Sproat and Blade Tidwell off the table for promotions. Those two, as well as older pitchers Jos¨¦ Ure?a and Brandon Waddell, had pitched too recently to be available.
Enter Hagenman, whom the Mets hope can offer length -- or at least insurance -- after Tylor Megill lasted just five innings in Tuesday¡¯s loss.
A 28-year-old who will be making his Major League debut, Hagenman signed with the Mets in November on a split contract. He hasn¡¯t been particularly sharp with Triple-A Syracuse, producing a 6.97 ERA and a 1.011 opponents¡¯ OPS over his first three outings. But he was on turn in the rotation, which made him the Mets¡¯ obvious option for a call-up.
An alternative would have been a bullpen game, which the Mets technically can still do. But Hagenman is likely to figure into that mix somehow.
So what does Jose Siri have to do with this?
On the surface, it would seem nothing. Siri will soon go on the injured list due to a fractured left tibia, which will keep him sidelined for weeks if not months. But if the Mets are willing to play shorthanded for one more game -- and it appears they are -- then they can engage in a legal form of roster manipulation. Major League rules state that optional assignments for pitchers must last 15 days, unless a player is recalled as the result of someone else going on the IL.
In other words, by waiting two days to place Siri on the IL, the Mets can avoid the 15-day penalty for whomever they option to make room for Hagenman -- likely Max Kranick, who recorded five outs in Tuesday¡¯s loss. That reliever can spend a single day in the Minors, then return when the Mets place Siri on the IL.
By that point, Jeff McNeil could also be ready for a return. He¡¯s been rehabbing from a strained right oblique.
And who will pitch Friday?
That¡¯s not yet clear. It could be Canning, if he recovers from his illness quickly. Otherwise, the Mets will need to make another move.
The sexy option is Sproat, the team¡¯s top-ranked prospect (per MLB Pipeline) who¡¯s off to a solid start with Syracuse. In his most recent two outings, Sproat allowed three total hits and produced a 2.16 ERA.
The conservative option is Ure?a, whom the Mets signed midway through Spring Training for just this sort of situation. A veteran of 232 Major League appearances, Ure?a has only made one start in Syracuse, allowing one run over 3 1/3 innings.
The Mets will make that decision later this week, once they determine whether Canning is fit to start.
So what does the Mets¡¯ upcoming rotation actually look like?
It should go something like this:
Wednesday @ MIN: Hagenman or an opener
Thursday vs. STL: David Peterson
Friday vs. STL: Canning, Sproat or Ure?a
Saturday vs. STL: Senga
Sunday vs. STL: Clay Holmes
Monday vs. PHI: Megill
Is anything else notable about this situation?
As a matter of fact, yes. The Mets went the first 17 games of this season without making a roster move. While that¡¯s not a record, it¡¯s all but unheard of in the modern game. (For comparison, the 2024 Mets made 18 adjustments to their active roster over their first 17 games.)
It was never meant to last. Expect the Mets to make a flurry of moves in the coming days.