David Peterson Gets Wednesday Start Against Nationals

David Peterson is back in the Mets’ rotation. The 30-year-old left-hander will start against the Nationals on Wednesday after losing his spot during a stretch of rough outings and then pitching better in relief.

Peterson And Senga

Peterson’s return comes after a difficult run as a starter, when he posted a 6.41 ERA across four starts. His fielding-independent numbers were better than that ERA suggested — a 3.33 FIP and a 5.01 xERA — but the results were still poor enough to push him out of the rotation.

His recent relief work gave the Mets a reason to turn back to him. After the club used Tobias Myers as an opener, Peterson covered 7.0 innings in two bullpen appearances and allowed a 1.29 ERA, even though his 4.99 FIP and 4.07 xERA were less polished than the run prevention.

Scott Joins The Mix

Tuesday afternoon also brought another change: Kodai Senga went on the injured list with lumbar spine inflammation. That left the Mets with fewer immediate options and helped open a path for Peterson to take the Wednesday assignment against Washington.

Christian Scott was called back up after a poor outing in his first major league start in two years, and the Mets are now presumably lining up a five-man group of Peterson, Scott, Nolan McLean, Clay Holmes and Freddy Peralta. That mix shows how quickly the rotation picture has shifted, with Peterson moving from the bullpen back into a starting role before the club settles on a longer look.

Mets Rotation Options

For the Mets, the practical effect is simple: Wednesday gives Peterson another chance to hold a rotation job at a time when the club is managing Senga’s injury and a thin starting-pitching pool. If he handles the Nationals, he stays in the conversation for one of those five rotation spots; if not, the Mets may have to keep searching for answers among the same limited names.