In a bid to leave a lasting impression on his new team, Adrian Houser‘s performance during the Mets’ camp has been a mix of highs and lows. Houser aims to secure a spot in the Mets’ rotation, likely toward the back end. On Sunday, he faced challenges in his second appearance during the spring.

He delivered two scoreless innings in his initial start, conceding just one hit and notched one strikeout across two scoreless innings. During that start. he demonstrated precision, throwing 15 of 23 pitches for strikes, and effectively navigated through a formidable Miami lineup, which featured notable Opening Day starters like Luis Arraez and Jazz Chisholm Jr.

Nevertheless, in the latest game on Sunday, Houser struggled, allowing four hits, three runs, and one walk in just 1 2/3 innings against the Astros. During his time on the mound, he threw 43 pitches, 29 of them strikes, and faced four hard-hit balls. Regardless of his lackluster performance, Houser was happy with the results, specifically with how he felt and how his pitches were coming off his arm.

Certainly, the primary emphasis during spring training games lies not on the scoreboard but on evaluating the performance of players vying for roster spots. This period is dedicated to assessing not just the outcomes but also gauging how players, particularly pitchers, feel after their stints on the mound. Despite Houser’s variable results so far, there’s a sense that he’s gradually returning to his accustomed form, drawing from his experience as a seasoned major-league player.

Before the trade to New York, and from 2015 to 2023, Houser contributed to the Brewers’ performance with a 31-34 record, maintaining a 4.00 ERA across 129 appearances, of which 97 were starts. Specifically, in 2023, he achieved an 8-5 record with a 4.12 ERA, recording 96 strikeouts in 111 1/3 innings throughout 23 games, 21 of which were starts.

As mentioned previously, Houser is part of the pool of potential back-end rotation choices along with Tylor Megill and Joey Lucchesi, following behind Kodai Senga, José Quintana, and Luis Severino. Notably, a crucial element of this pitching depth, David Peterson, will be absent from the early part of the season as he recovers from a torn labrum in his left hip, which impacts the spot that Houser can fill greatly, in that it creates more of an opportunity for Houser to land in the rotation.