WASHINGTON — The Mets are set to add a dynamic pitcher to their starting rotation and may soon add to their bullpen.
Christian Scott is expected to return to the Mets’ starting rotation after being recalled from Triple-A Syracuse on Wednesday, and team officials are discussing the possibility of adding Jose Bout to their struggling relief corps, manager Carlos Mendoza said.
Scott emerged as the team’s top pitching prospect last season and earned positive reviews in five starts for the Mets in May, including his major league debut. The right-hander posted a 3.90 ERA with 25 strikeouts and six walks in 27 2/3 innings over five starts.
Most notably, Scott has pitched at least six innings in three of his five starts, a welcome sign for a starting rotation that has struggled with pitcher length this season.
The 25-year-old Scott was called up as the Mets are scheduled to play 17 straight days but have an opening in the rotation following the team’s decision to send Tyler Megill to Syracuse after Sunday’s game to bolster a depleted relief corps.
As of Monday, the Mets were just halfway through the 10-game suspension served by Edwin Diaz for applying a sticky substance to a baseball.
Additionally, Drew Smith (likely to undergo Tommy John surgery) and Sean Reid-Foley (right shoulder tightness) were placed on the disabled list last week.
Bringing Bhutto back would help bolster the relief corps, but team officials also want the right-hander in for the long term in case they need him to bolster the rotation. A compromise would be to use him as a multi-inning reliever, essentially accompanying the starters.
“if [Butto] “He’ll probably be the longer option initially until we get things sorted and we get into the All-Star break,” pitching coach Jeremy Heffner told The Post.
The 26-year-old Butt has appeared in seven games (all as a starter) for the Mets this season, posting a 3.08 ERA with 38 strikeouts and 21 walks in 38 innings.
“He’s pitched well here and continues to pitch well in Triple-A,” Heffner said. “Whenever the opportunity comes, he should be given that opportunity.”
Mendoza said after Monday’s game that he wants to see where the Mets’ needs lie before making a decision, but Butts is being considered as an option.
The Mets’ weak relief corps was evident in consecutive losses to the Astros on Saturday and Sunday.
New additions include Matt Festa, Tyler Jay and Ty Adcock.
On Sunday, Festas gave up four runs in the 11th inning in a loss to the Mets in his debut with the team. The day before, the Mets had a late lead before Jake Diekman and Reid Garrett collapsed late in the innings.
“When you have an injury like Edwin’s situation, it puts guys in a different role than they normally would,” Heffner said. “It’s a tough situation, but we trust the guys that are here. They wouldn’t be here if we didn’t think they could get outs. It’s just about execution. That’s where we have to get better.”
