There is a good chance prized righty Jenrry Mejia will be summoned to the majors next month, according to Terry Collins, with the manager saying the Mets will “do the best we can to get him a start or two.”
Mejia, who turns 23 in October, has spent the season at three minor-league levels after undergoing Tommy John surgery last year. He’s posted a 1.11 ERA in eight starts at Triple-A Buffalo, and in his last four starts has an 0.84 ERA.
While Collins has waffled on whether Mejia’s future is as a starter or reliever, the manager admitted yesterday Mejia’s recent results in the rotation has made him reassess things.
“It really does,” Collins said. “He was most comfortable this year starting and he’s shown the results of that.”
In 16 relief outings for Buffalo, Mejia’s ERA is 5.57.
* Collins said after yesterday’s 1-0 loss to Colorado Daniel Murphy is worn out and, thus, Justin Turner will play second base for a bit. Murphy, who went 1-for-5 with two strikeouts yesterday, is in a 6-for-47 rut with no extra-base hits in his last 14 games.
* For just the second time with the Mets this season, Jordany Valdespin hit in the leadoff spot, with Collins saying he was “doing anything we can come up with to get this offense kick-started.”
Valdespin reached twice with a walk and a single and stole a base. But the rookie was also caught stealing and failed to get a sac bunt down in the seventh inning after Ronny Cedeno opened with a single. He also misplayed a ball in the outfield that went a long way toward helping the Rockies score the game’s only run.
* History-making 16-year-old gold medal gymnast Gabby Douglas threw out yesterday’s first pitch. Douglas, who said she hopes to compete in the 2016 Olympics, admitted to some nerves before the pitch.
“I threw out the first pitch at the Iowa Cubs game,” she said. “This is like major, so I’m nervous.”
— Additional reporting by Fred Kerber