A few weeks ago, it looked like Hansel Robles and Rafael Montero were mortal locks for the New York Mets’ Opening Day roster. Things have changed dramatically, with Montero slated to go under the knife for Tommy John surgery and Robles pitching himself out of the mix. The Mets made it official today, optioning Robles and catcher Tomas Nido to minor league camp, MetsBlog.com reports. Robles, who posted a 9.62 ERA this spring and surrendered five homers, did have a minor league option remaining so the Mets won’t lose his rights.
This now leaves 32 players in camp and makes the pitching situation a bit more clear. If the Mets intend on carrying eight pitchers in the bullpen, it means that all of Robert Gsellman, Seth Lugo, and Zack Wheeler will make the roster. While most assume that Wheeler was ticketed for a rotation spot after the injury to Jason Vargas, reports surfaced on Wednesday that his spot wasn’t a lock. Wheeler didn’t help his own cause last night, getting beaten up for five runs in two innings by the Nationals while Lugo tossed tossed four shutout innings in relief.
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