The New York Mets’ pitching staff is once again held together by duct tape, hope, and a few emergency phone calls to Syracuse.
When Tylor Megill went down with an elbow injury last weekend, it left yet another crater in a rotation already riddled with question marks.
With Friday’s game in Philadelphia looming, the Mets had to scramble. The choice? Right-hander Justin Hagenman—a name familiar to die-hards but not someone who typically inspires widespread confidence.
It’s a bit like calling your neighbor to fix your car because the mechanic is on vacation. Not ideal, but it might just work.
Hagenman offers temporary relief, not long-term answers
Mets manager Carlos Mendoza made it clear earlier this week: Friday’s starter would be “one and done.”
That comment suggested a clear lack of commitment and a sense of necessity more than strategy. Whoever takes the mound won’t be sticking around long.
Now we know who gets that unenviable task. Mike Puma of the New York Post reported Thursday that Hagenman is getting the call-up.
He likely won’t be starting in the traditional sense, but he’s expected to handle the majority of the innings—essentially acting as the bulk guy after an opener.
Hagenman’s Triple-A numbers this season won’t earn him a parade. He’s carrying a bloated 6.21 ERA over 33.1 innings with Syracuse, where the ball tends to fly like it’s made of helium.
That environment is cruel to pitchers, but the raw numbers still raise eyebrows.
Quiet competence at the MLB level gives Mets hope
Despite his Triple-A struggles, Hagenman has been a different pitcher in the big leagues. His brief stint earlier this year saw him surrender just one run over 3.1 innings while striking out four and walking none.
That performance was enough to keep him in Mendoza’s mind as a short-term stopgap.
He isn’t a sexy pick. He isn’t even the obvious one. Top prospects Nolan McLean and Brandon Sproat have more hype, but neither are on the 40-man roster—an inconvenient barrier when every decision feels urgent.
Blade Tidwell, who is on the 40-man, recently got rocked in Triple-A, all but eliminating himself for now.
In a way, Hagenman was the only card left in the deck the Mets could play without reshuffling the roster entirely. He may not be the ace, but for one night, they hope he can play the role of a reliable placeholder.
Frankie Montas looms as Megill’s longer-term replacement
While Friday’s game will be a mix-and-match effort, the Mets still need a legitimate solution for the weeks ahead. Megill is expected to miss at least four to five weeks, possibly longer if his elbow doesn’t respond quickly to treatment.
That spotlight now turns to Frankie Montas, whose tenure with the Mets has yet to begin in earnest. He’s made six rehab starts but hasn’t pitched well in any of them.
Still, the Mets invested $34 million in Montas during the offseason. Given that financial commitment, it’s almost inevitable that he will be given a chance to prove his worth, whether he’s ready or not.
Sean Manaea, another potential rotation option, isn’t quite ready either. That leaves the Mets leaning heavily on hope and high-risk rehab plans to fill a glaring void in the rotation.
So for now, the Mets’ rotation remains a daily puzzle, solved with Band-Aids and short-term fixes. Justin Hagenman may not be the future, but for one Friday night in Philly, he’s the present—whether he’s ready or not.
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