JUPITER, Fla. — Jose Butt may not get the Mets’ rotation job to start the season, but he’s certainly making the case that he should be in the rotation this spring.
On Thursday, he escaped a 3-out pinch in the fourth inning thanks to a rushing grab on a line drive from Brett Batty.
As a result, Butt pitched 4 shutout innings, throwing 64 pitches, allowing 2 hits, 2 walks, and 3 strikeouts.
“Butty saved me there, and the minute I got into the dugout, I said to him, ‘What do you want for dinner tonight?'” Mets and Cardinals at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium Bato said this on the day the exhibition game ended in a scoreless draw.
This spring, the right-handed pitcher competed for the rotation spot vacated by Kodai Senga’s absence from the season opener, and pitched in four games with an ERA of 0.90.
Senga, who was diagnosed with shoulder tightness early in camp, won’t be able to pitch again until at least next week, so he will need to fully strengthen for the season. The best-case scenario for the Mets is for Chiga to return in early May.
Tyler Megill appears to be the frontrunner for that spot based on his own strong springboard and experience level. Megill completed the splitter over the winter and reported to camp along with team officials that he was very satisfied with his offseason work.
Even if Megill ends up being nominated, the Mets will need Butt at some point this season — likely as part of a six-man rotation that could be implemented on schedule. ).
The first opportunity to deploy a sixth man — barring a rain cancellation during the first two-and-a-half weeks of the season — will be in mid-April.
Butt, who turns 26 next week, was effective for the Mets in the final month of last season, starting five games and posting a 3.29 ERA.
Although this is the first time Manager Carlos Mendoza has seen Butt pitch, he has enough information about the right-handed pitcher through conversations with pitchers and staff to understand where he has seen the most improvement.
“I think it’s just confidence,” Mendoza said. “He knows he deserves to be at this level, and I think the way he threw the ball in the second half of last year carried over into this year. He’s not afraid to throw a lot of pitches and attack hitters. Man, that’s a lot of what we’re looking at.”
On this day, Butt used a four-seam fastball that averaged 95.6 mph and used it to set up a changeup, resulting in five swings and a whiff. Butt primarily relied on a new sinker that he has been working on perfecting this spring. His pitch velocity averaged 94.3 mph.
“My focus last year was attacking hitters,” Butt said. “Going into the offseason, I started attending spring training with even more focus. I’ve been focused on being as good as I was at the end of last season.
“Right now, when I play against these hitters, I feel like I can throw any pitch in any count. So going out there and having confidence in all my pitches is the most important thing for me. I think that’s how it was.”
Butt’s player could potentially play as a reliever, but if Megill earns Chiga’s rotation spot at the start of the season, the Mets could stretch him out depending on the rotation depth needed rather than putting him in the bullpen. There is a high possibility that it will be kept.
“The biggest thing for [Butto] It’s about getting more pitches and developing properly for the season,” Mendoza said.
