With the Mets finally admitting that Logan Verrett was not capable of being the team’s fifth starter for the rest of the season, the Mets had to make a decision on who should be the fifth starter for the rest of the year.

Seemingly, there were a few options.  The first was Robert Gsellman who has made significant strides this year in the minors, but is struggling in AAA going 1-5 with a 5.70 ERA and a 1.406 WHIP.  The other option was Seth Lugo, who has pitched fairly well out of the Mets bullpen, but he has not been fully stretched out.  There was also Gabriel Ynoa, who entered the season as the Mets top rated pitching prospect in AAA as the year began.  Ynoa started the year strong, but he pitched to a 6.64 ERA in June and July this year.

Given the fact that the younger Mets arms didn’t seem ready, it is no surprise the Mets turned to recently acquired Jon Niese to be the new fifth starter.  Niese has been horrendous this year, but with Dan Warthen as his pitching coach, Niese has been a .500 pitcher with a 3.95 ERA and a 1.365 WHIP.  These are not great numbers, but these are numbers that you can live with from your fifth starter.

However, what is surprising was the Mets calling up Ynoa to be the long man in the bullpen.  First and foremost, Lugo has done a good job as the long man in the Mets bullpen.  In his seven appearances, Lugo has pitched 13.2 innings with a 2.63 ERA and an 0.878 WHIP.  More than that, Lugo is actually a reliever.  Due to his own struggles in AAA, Lugo was demoted to the bullpen where he was used as a reliever.  Lugo has actually made appearances in back-to-back games and appeared in a number of different scenarios.

Ynoa hasn’t.  Before being called up to the majors, Ynoa last made a relief apperance on August 26th of last year.  In that relief appearance, Ynoa was on regular rest, and he pitched two innings after a Steven Matz rehab start.  Prior to that Ynoa last made a relief appearance as an 18 year old pitching in the Gulf Coast League.  It should be noted that in those three relief appearances, Ynoa was piggybacking the starting pitcher.  In essence, Ynoa has never truly been a relief pitcher in his entire professional career.

That didn’t stop the Mets from making him one for the first time in the majors.  Not only that, it didn’t stop Terry Collins from using Ynoa in back-to-back games.  That is all the more startling when you consider the fact that Ynoa HAS NEVER pitched in back-to-back games in his professional career.  This is no way to treat a 23 year old pitcher who very well could be a part of the Mets rotation within the next year or two.

If the Mets truly believed he was ready to get called-up to the majors, it is hard to dispute that especially seeing how poised he was on the mound in his first two appearances.  However, with that said, if you’re calling him up, why not put him in the rotation and leave Niese in the bullpen where he has had some experience and some success?  It’s not like Niese is fully stretched out, and it’s not like Niese has exactly earned the opportunity especially since Niese was given the rotation spot AFTER allowing six earned runs in an inning.

Instead of doing the obvious, the Mets are putting Niese in the rotation and Ynoa in the bullpen.  It doesn’t make any sense.