MILWAUKEE — Now it’s Jenrry Mejia’s turn. Finally.
After watching Matt Harvey, Collin McHugh and others cut the line in front of him this season — and after seeing his career flash before his eyes in 2011 — Mejia is set to make his first major-league start in exactly two years tonight against at Miller Park.
The 22-year-old right-hander will take the mound under the rarest of circumstances — following a Mets win.
The less-than Amazin’s snapped a six-game losing streak with a 7-3 victory over the Brewers last night, just their second win in their last 10 games. Daniel Murphy and Lucas Duda each homered for the Mets while Jonathon Niese scattered six hits over six innings for his 11th win of the season.
The loss was the Brewers’ first in their last 10 home games as their push for an NL wild-card spot was briefly halted. Despite the loss, Milwaukee has won 18 of its last 24.
Mejia, who missed most of last season following Tommy John surgery, began this season as a starter, but struggled both before and after he was shifted to the bullpen during his climb through three minor-league levels.
But as he stood in the visitors’ clubhouse yesterday afternoon, he expressed confidence he is a starter. Always was. And, he hopes, always will be.
“I am excited,” said Mejia, who pitched an inning in relief against the Braves last week in his first major-league appearance since Sept. 15, 2010. “I want to be a starter and that’s what they want me to do, so I’m excited about it. … I want to show them I want to be a starter and I can do my job like a starter.’’
Mejia started three games while making 33 appearance for the Mets in 2010 and came away with an 0-4 record, a 4.62 ERA and an elbow that would go snap, crackle and pop the following April while pitching for Triple-A Buffalo.
“It was a lot to get back,” he said. “I worked hard, day by day thinking about what I had to do … to get to the major-league level. If you don’t think about the major-league level, you’ll never get here.’’
Manager Terry Collins said he’s looking forward to see what Mejia can do as a starter. Collins caught Mejia’s act in the minors in 2010 and came away impressed.
“I’m anxious to see how he handles it,” he said. “He’s healthy again. I’ve seen him start in the minor leagues and I was one guy who thought, ‘Why can’t he start?’ He’s a maximum-effort guy. But there’s no reason why somebody can’t do that.
“I saw him two years ago. I saw him pitch an inning in Buffalo and I think the last pitch he threw was 97 [mph] and that was his 117th pitch or whatever he threw. Electric stuff.’’
Whether Mejia’s future is as a starter or reliever remains to be seen. Mets general manager Sandy Alderson said the futures of young pitchers such as Mejia and Jeurys Familia, who is scheduled to get a start in the season’s final week, will be determined both by the team’s needs and by a pitcher’s success in a given role.
“Many starting pitchers begin their major league careers in the bullpen, so I don’t see that we have to make an irrevocable choice if we decide to put Familia or Mejia or anyone else in the pen initially,” Alderson said. “They can always start if they have the repertoire.
“It will be a combination of need as well as where we think they are best suited. For example, we could move somebody to the pen even though we think they are best suited and their ultimate role will be in the rotation.’’
As for Mejia, he said tonight will just be another game for him.
“I won’t be nervous because I’ve been here before,” he said. “If this was my first time here, I’d be nervous. I pitched here in 2010. I’ll just go out there and throw my pitches.’’
— Additional reporting
by Mike Puma.