MLB

Mejia still learning about pitching out of the bullpen

OAKLAND, Calif. — Jenrry Mejia loves his role as Mets closer, but is still learning there’s more to the job than just pitching with a lead.

The fireballing right-hander has expressed dismay to confidants in recent days about the fact he has been used lately in several non-save situations, but before the Mets faced the Athletics on Tuesday said he’s on the same wavelength with manager Terry Collins and pitching coach Dan Warthen.

“I feel pretty good, so I have to keep pitching in any situation they want me pitching,” Mejia said. “I’ve just got to be there and throw strikes and do my job.”

Entering Tuesday’s action, three of Mejia’s last four appearances had come in non-save situations. The most recent was Monday, when he entered with the Cubs leading 2-1 in the ninth inning and allowed two runs on Javier Baez’s monstrous homer.

A day earlier, Mejia entered a 1-1 game in the ninth inning and allowed the go-ahead homer to Starlin Castro.

Collins said he needed Mejia on Monday because the bullpen was short after Carlos Torres made an emergency start for Bartolo Colon, whose mother passed away in the Dominican Republic.

“I don’t think [Mejia] has closed long enough to get the whole gist of it,” Collins said. “But I do know from the past that if you take a closer and put him in a non-save situation, that edge is missing.

“I told him [Monday], ‘We needed you because of our situation down in the pen.’ I needed one inning. I didn’t need a multiple-inning guy at that time. But we had Jeurys [Familia] who could give us two and [Josh] Edgin who could give us two if we had gotten back in a 2-1 game. I couldn’t bring in Jeurys for just one inning, because if we tie the game, we’re out of pitching in a couple of innings.”

After going eight straight appearances without allowing a run, Mejia had allowed seven earned runs over 7 ²/₃ innings, dating to Aug. 4. Last week he revealed he has been pitching with a hernia tear since late July.

“It’s getting late in the year and I think he needs a little bit of a rest — a day or two where he doesn’t throw because his breaking ball isn’t as sharp and too many fastballs are left up,” Warthen said.

“It’s the second half and I think it’s the dog days and he’s thrown the baseball a lot. We have many of our pitchers that have been in a lot of games because so many of our games are close that we have to use everybody way too often.”

Any frustration Mejia encountered with his recent usage was gone by the time he arrived at O.co Coliseum on Tuesday.

Overall, Mejia had 18 saves in 21 chances after beginning the season in the starting rotation.
“If I’m the closer, I have to be in there in a save situation,” Mejia said. “But anywhere they give me the ball I have to be there.”