The Mets are giving "strong consideration" to Walker Lockett to make Wednesday's start, reports Mike Puma of the New York Post.
With Marcus Stroman opting out of the season on Monday and Michael Wacha having landed on the IL on Sunday, the Mets will likely need a rotation fill-in for at least two turns through, and perhaps more.
Prior to Tuesday's game, the Mets reinstated both Lockett and reliever Brad Brach from the IL, sending reliever Paul Sewald and third catcher Ali Sanchez to the team's alternate training site in Brooklyn to make room on the roster.
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Lockett, who began the season on the IL and has yet to pitch in the majors this year, has been throwing simulated games at the Mets' alternate site in Brooklyn.
The 26-year-old Lockett, who was acquired from the Indians in January of 2019 along with Sam Haggerty in exchange for Kevin Plawecki, has not fared well in parts of two big league seasons.
Lockett had a 9.60 ERA and 2.13 WHIP in 15 IP (three starts, one relief appearance) for the San Diego Padres in 2018, during what was his first taste of the majors.
In 2019, Lockett had an 8.34 ERA and 1.72 WHIP in 22.2 IP for the Mets (four starts, five relief appearances).
A look at his advanced numbers in the small sample size we have to work with suggest that Lockett's bloated ERA hasn't been due to bad luck. His FIP was 7.03 in 2018 and 6.17 in 2019.
While Lockett has some fans in the scouting community, his stints in the majors have been underwhelming, and it's fair to wonder if he's the Mets' best option at this point.
In addition to Lockett, the Mets' options to start include Franklyn Kilome (a legitimate prospect with plus stuff who impressed earlier this season in his big league debut), and Robert Gsellman (who would be shifting from the bullpen).