Mickey Callaway said this morning that the team expects to give Robert Gsellman and Seth Lugo starts at some point this season, despite a decision not being imminent

Both former starters have been very effective as relievers thus far this season.

Lugo is 1-0 with a 1.98 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, and 28 strikeouts in 27 1/3 innings (16 appearances), while Gsellman is 4-0 with a 2.93 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, and 25 strikeouts in 27 2/3 innings (20 games).

Both of them have proved to be extremely vital to the Mets bullpen as they are both multi-inning relievers. However, the argument could be made that they could be more useful as starters, as part of the reason for their heavy workloads so far is that the starting rotation has been ineffective, outside of Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard.

Jason Vargas currently sports a 0-3 record and 13.86 ERA since returning from the DL on April 28 and had his last start skipped. Meanwhile, Zack Wheeler has not been good either, despite being healthy all year, as he is 2-3 with a 5.92 ERA. Steven Matz, while not likely to be the one bounced from the rotation for either Lugo or Gsellman, has been mediocre at best with a 1-3 record and 4.42 ERA this season.

This is a decision worth pondering, though as both Lugo and Gsellman found success as starters in 2016.

Lugo went 5-1 with a 2.68 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, and 29 strikeouts in his eight starts (47 innings) that season.

Meanwhile, Gsellman started seven games (41 innings) and went 3-2 with a 2.63 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, and 40 strikeouts.

However, in 2017, both struggled as members of the rotation.

Lugo went 7-5 with a 4.76 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, and 82 strikeouts in 18 starts (98 1/3 innings) with diminished velocity, as he chose to rehab and pitch through a partially torn UCL in his right elbow that suffered during the World Baseball Classic that spring.

Gsellman was similarly bad as he went 8-7 with a 5.29 ERA, 1.51 WHIP, and 78 strikeouts in 22 starts(115 2/3 innings). He found himself in the minors for an extended stay after landing on the DL with a left hamstring strain, which caused friction between himself and Sandy Alderson.

It is worth mentioning that Lugo was actually named the team’s fifth starter in the Spring Training, but was moved to the bullpen when the Mets got rained out on April 2, as the team decided to skip Lugo and later gave the fifth spot to Wheeler instead.

The point of mentioning that tidbit is that Lugo is probably the one they would turn to first if only one spot in the rotation is up for grabs.

Zach Braziller of the New York Post notes that moving one or both of them to the rotation likely wouldn’t happen until Anthony Swarzak returns from the 60-day DL, which is likely still at least a couple weeks from happening.